SasuSaku Month: 2013
by pluhsauce
Summary: This is my first year participating, and I promise to keep it interesting! Day Thirty-one: Unexpected Wealth...The day Sasuke returned to the village, he wasn't sure what hit him harder: Sakura's punch, or the realization that she had always been there for him.
1. Day One: Holding Hands

**SasuSaku Month 2013**

**(because we all know that it will be canon by the end of the year)**

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Title: Healing Touch  
Summary: Ever since he left, those hands have touched thousands (and none were his).  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.  
Prompt: Day One: Holding Hands  
Rating: K+  
Warning(s): none  
Comments: first sasusaku month I've participated in! (:

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The war was over, the tyrants killed, and the 10-tails sealed. However, instead of celebrating alongside his ex-teammates, reveling in the impossible victory, Sasuke Uchiha sat (alone) behind the flimsy fabric walls of the Konoha medical tent.

All around him he could hear tired groans and sighs of pain escaping from the lips of those utterly _beneath him._ The only solace he had was that somehow Karin and Suigetsu had given up on trying to find him.

Through the walls, he could hear her voice.

"_Aburame-san, I'll need you to keep still!"_ she urged in a professional tone, though it was muffled and distorted by the tent. For the past two hours, she had stayed with the sick, diminishing her chakra over dozens of shinobi, most of whom she would never even see again.

The man she was hovering over was lucky indeed, to be under the care of the best (living) medical ninja in the entire nation. Even as Sasuke closed his eyes in yet another futile attempt of sleep, he could not remove her image from his weary mind.

The second he saw her on the battlefield…so fiery and passionate and _alive_…he knew that the old Sakura, the one who would cry over his wounds and squeeze his sweaty hands with her own, was gone. (perhaps forever)

Eyes still closed, a sharp frown marred his handsome features.

_Why would I care if she changed? She'll be more tolerable now. She won't come begging for my company or hovering over me all the time. _

The diamond on her forehead, contrasting with her (soft) hair and her (bright) eyes, a physical manifestation of her training with Tsunade.

The triumphant grin that flew across her face when she landed a punch. (He couldn't help but smirk)

The way her hair billowed in wind, still as short as it was his last night in Konoha.

_She's annoying as ever, _he frowned.

His eyes snapped open at sound of footsteps at his "door," the sharingan blazing (and the stinging pain that would result).

"Sasuke?" a smooth voice called out, and he didn't have to bother moving his head to know who it was.

"Why aren't you celebrating with the rest? Shouldn't you be drinking sake with Naruto or something?" he asked, a cynical twinge in his words.

"It's more important to save the ones that are too injured to celebrate."

He could practically _hear_ the smile that followed.

"Don't waste your time."

The steps came closer, until he could feel the heat of her body next to him. Nevertheless, he refused to show any indication that he noticed her physical presence.

"_You_ are too injured to celebrate," she continued. She raised a hand to his upper arm, and he almost flinched before realizing that it was because his bicep was torn. It only took a few seconds for her chakra to seal up the wound, the distinct glow surrounding her hands.

Though he didn't want to admit it, he slowly relaxed under her touch as she moved on to a gash on his shoulder and his bloody shins. However, as she reached his right hand, he stiffened immediately, violently rising up to a sitting position. She gasped lightly, but her touch stayed.

"_Don't_," he practically hissed, narrowing his eyes. Though any other ninja would flinch in fear, her expression remained still.

"Your hand is injured," she said simply. "You've used the chidori too many times in such a short amount of time. Do you _want_ the tendons to tear off?"

"Move on to someone else."

She froze, and suddenly he realized how his words could have been interpreted.

"Move on to _healing_ someone else."

"Sasuke, no matter how much you protest, I'll need to heal you eventually. You are one of our top shinobi. To ignore you would be pointless."

He didn't speak after that, which she took as surrender. Thus, she started her chakra flow once more…before his sharingan went spinning in agitation. She fought the urge to sigh in frustration.

"What is it _now_, Sasuke? You can't stand for me to touch you? Well just _try_ to get over your obvious disgust for me so I can finish your healing and just leave!" she yelled, her words stemming from all the bitter, self-hating thoughts that had plagued her mind ever since that day three years ago, when he dismissed her heartfelt confession with only a few quiet words.

"Do you treat all your patients like this?" he commented simply. In fact, his disposition looked so serious in that moment that Sakura couldn't help but compare him to Sai. In any other situation, she would have laughed at how his statement could be his attempt of joking.

"No. You're just special," she said slowly through gritted teeth. She started her chakra again, before he stopped her for the third time.

"How many people have you healed?"

She sighed. "I don't know…thousands? I _did _get help from Katsuyu…"

"How many hands have you touched?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Why does it matter?"

"When we were younger, you swore that I was the only one you would touch."

"I never said that," she frowned, trying not to linger too much on her old self.

"You _implied_ it."

"Why does it matter?" she asked again.

"You broke your promise."

"Of _course_ I did! I work as a konoichi _and_ a medic-nin, in case you haven't realized yet!" she growled out, most likely terrifying the rest of the occupants of the tent.

"Have you broken any other promises?"

_Of course not, Sasuke! No matter how hard I try to forget you, I've loved you for all this time. I can't count the number of times I've refused to cry, or the amount of my own blood I've spilled on the training grounds in attempts of someday being good enough to impress you!_

"Maybe."

Sasuke didn't seem to like that answer, for his interested expression turned into a displeased frown.

"Are you sure?"

"What are you even _asking _at this point?!" she asked exasperatedly.

"Have you done anything else with a man?"

"W-what? I….what are you-"

"Have you kissed another man since I left?" he asked suddenly.

There was a heavy silence.

"…no," she admitted.

"Good."

She gave him a weird look.

"Then you can still keep your promise."

"Sasuke, what are you even sayi-"

He cut her off with his lips for the briefest of seconds before he pulled away immediately. Her mouth almost dropped open in shock, and her cheeks were stained a very noticeable shade of pink.

A little unsure of her feelings, he tried to turn his head to this side in attempts of hiding an uncharacteristically embarrassed expression. However, she used her other hand (the one _not_ still grasping his own) to turn his head back.

"Don't think that I'm going to be some submissive lover or anything-" he started, before she put a finger to his lips.

"Shut up, Sasuke-kun," she sighed out softly, before pulling him into a fervent kiss that reminded him of passionate flames and what it meant like to be loved.

(They would make a compromise: she could heal others, as long as _he_ was the man she always came back to)

* * *

**I need to write for my other fics now. Mwah. (;**


	2. Day Two: Lessons Learned

**Day Two: hell yeah (;**

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Title: Scapegoat

Summary: Whenever Sasuke does anything wrong, he can always pretend that he is just Naruto in a henge.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: Lessons Learned

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: I love writing SasuSaku that isn't dripping with angst.

* * *

It was an early Tuesday morning when Sasuke saw himself walking down the streets with Sakura.

He paused for a second.

_Wait._

The other version of him was frantically trying to put his arms around Sakura, who was rolling her eyes and saying something he couldn't make out from where he was standing. Eventually, after the other Sasuke gave up on wrapping the pink-haired in his arms, he slapped Sakura's ass hard, the _smack_ noise loud and clear, even in the crowded area.

Sasuke was caught between emotions of horror and shock. (Of course, he face gave neither of those away)

"You asshole!" Sakura screamed, punching the "Sasuke" hard in the face (he cringed) until he disappeared into a cloud of smoke, revealing a pouting Naruto.

"Sakuuuuuura…," he whined, using his best puppy-dog face. "You're no fun!"

"Just because you henge into Sasuke does _not_ mean you get to do stuff like that!"

Sasuke frowned.

"Would you prefer if I turned into someone else? Like Sai? Or Kakashi?"

Sakura flushed a bright shade of red. "N-Naruto! Don't say stuff like that in public!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in confusion. Why would she prefer Kakashi or Sai over him?

"Fine, let's just go get ramen or something," Naruto sighed. "Getting rejected by you is getting really bad for my health."

"Whatever," Sakura said dismissively, following him to Ichiraku. "I'll heal your nose when we get there."

Neither of them saw the _real_ Sasuke gaping at them as they walked away.

* * *

The second time Sasuke saw himself, he was browsing through the shelves of the Konoha library on a Thursday afternoon. He had noticed Sakura sitting at a table by herself, but since she looked so immersed in the book she was reading (something on medicinal herbs or something), he had let her be.

Of course, the "other Sasuke" sure didn't want to waste an opportunity to approach the defenseless konoichi.

He sat across from her silently, staring at Sakura's book as if he could see through it. (The real Sasuke had to reluctantly commend Naruto for improving his acting skills)

But he couldn't keep up the façade for long, because he hadn't been there for 30 seconds before slapping the book from Sakura's hands and leaning over to try to give her a (sloppy) kiss. She leaned back immediately, dodging him perfectly as he fell onto the tabletop.

The real Sasuke was glowering from behind a bookshelf.

As the smoke cleared, Naruto was fake-crying, holding his aching head in between his hands. "Sakuuuuuuuuuraaa….that really hurt!"

"You need to stop doing this so often in public places!" Sakura scolded sharply, hitting him with her book. "This is not normal!"

"When have I ever been normal, Sakura?" Naruto grinned wolfishly, before being slapped again.

Sasuke left the library before they could see him.

* * *

It was Saturday when Sasuke decided to use Naruto's mistakes in his favor.

He was passing by the training grounds on the edge of the village, and just happened to see Sakura in the middle of a very focused water-manipulation jutsu. She was using her chakra to block the large river in front of her, creating an invisible barrier that was stopping the flow of water.

As he walked closer, he could hear her panting for breath and could see the sweat beading on her forehead. For a few minutes, he just simply watched her work, hiding his chakra signature so as not to break her concentration. But after awhile, he grew impatient at watching her do the same thing for five minutes straight, and decided to approach her directly. He snuck up behind her until he was just about breathing down her neck, and….

"Sakura."

She jolted dramatically, dropping the barrier and her focus, the water spilling everywhere on top of both of them. As it cleared, Sasuke could now see her outfit choice _very_ clearly: her usual shorts and boots…with a swimsuit-like top.

He gulped.

"Naruto, I don't have time for this," she growled, staring him directly in the eye without flinching. Her expression was fiery, and Sasuke felt a little uncomfortable, considering that he had never been on the receiving end of that glare.

He was at a loss for words, and couldn't think of something that sounded remotely Naruto-like.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot!" she yelled, absolutely livid. "What is with you this week?! You're doing this whole Sasuke-henge thing _way_ too often!"

"Would you prefer if I turned into Sai or Kakashi?" he asked suddenly, remembering Naruto's words the other day.

"You know what? _Maybe I would,"_ Sakura growled. "Now go the fuck away."

Just to be safe, Sasuke quickly henged into Naruto, pretending he was actually the blonde-haired ninja.

"Sorry, Sakuuura," he fake-groaned, beginning to walk away. "I'll try better next time."

"There better not be a next time," she hissed, turning her back to face the river once more.

* * *

It was a few days later until Sasuke decided to approach her for the final time. She was sitting in her office at the hospital, concentrating over some document while tapping her pen on the tabletop.

"Sakura," he greeted, entering the room slowly.

"What is it this time?" she frowned, making him inwardly cringe.

"Do you still like Sasuke?" he asked quietly, knowing that she would think he was just Naruto.

"Why are you asking that _now_?" she replied, a twinge of sadness in her eyes.

"Or do you like someone else now?"

"Naruto. You _know_ how I feel, and I'd prefer that you didn't keep reminding me of how I can't change that, even after all this time."

"Does that mean you still love him?"

"Why is that important all of a sudden?" she said accusingly, her voice rising. "Get out!"

With her words, she flung an eraser at Sasuke with her enhanced strength.

Now, if he had actually been Naruto henging into Sasuke, the illusion would have dropped immediately.

_If_ _he had actually been Naruto henging into Sasuke._

Instead of poofing into a cloud of smoke, Sasuke just gritted his teeth, rubbing his arm, which was now turning into a nasty shade of purple and red.

"Fuck! Sakura! That hurt!" he growled, though not missing the absolutely _terrified _expression on her face.

"Sasu…ke?" she stammered out, eyes wide. He immediately forgot his aching limb.

"So you _do_ still love me?" he asked, the barest hint of a smirk on his lips. She didn't say anything, but her cheeks were becoming rosier with every passing second.

"I may not be Naruto, but meet me at Ichiraku's for dinner after your shift," he finished (commanded) before exiting, leaving Sakura to wallow in a petrifying mixture of shock, embarrassment, and joy.


	3. Day Three: Watching

**Writing this ****and**** my other story is a little challenging, but I've been feeling rather productive recently. If you read "School Days," expect another chapter today or tomorrow. (:**

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Title: Light Eyes and Blackened Souls

Summary: Even after he had watched her grow, she still had an effect on him that wouldn't go away.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: "Watching"

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: For some reason, this felt very natural to write.

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Contrary to popular belief, the village of Konoha was not difficult to sneak into, particularly for one of its previous citizens.

It was a dangerous habit for a missing-nin worth thousands in the Bingo book to maintain, but it sure didn't stop Sasuke from indulging in his curiosities.

At first, he had only done it to size up the "competition," (more specifically Naruto) but upon discovering that the annoying blonde had left to train with a sanin, he no choice but to look at the rest of the rookie 9 that he left behind.

All it took was a henge into a forgettable merchant, no one looking past the mousy brown hair and splotchy complexion he created. He always walked past the training fields carefully, looking around for any ninja he recognized. Admittedly, he was a little impressed by some (Shikamaru, Kiba), and didn't care about the growth of others (Ino and Rock Lee).

However, it was always difficult to find his other ex-teammate.

When she wasn't making rounds in the hospital (mastering medical-jutsu faster than anyone else the village had seen), she was on the training grounds with Tsunade, and he knew that he had better stay away, lest the Hokage see right through his illusion.

However, occasionally, he caught her practicing by herself, easily recognizable by the giant craters she would leave in the ground with every taijutsu drill. He watched her punch through trees, slice through the advanced training dummies like they were butter, and at the end of her session…healing every little scratch she had acquired.

He watched her break her own arm, just to practice repairing it.

He watched her not only climb up trees with her feet, but with only her hands holding her perpendicular to the ground.

He watched her spar with other ninjas, particularly Kakashi, Kiba, and Rock Lee. (He concluded that none of them, save for Kakashi, deserved her time)

Occasionally, he watched her create a perfect replica of herself, punching it over and over again with tears gathering in her eyes. (He noted that she never let them go any farther down her face)

Watching her made him just the slightest bit proud that she had kept up her promise to grow as much so that she did not need protecting. (He noted that despite her hard work, she was still most likely to be protected, for the sole reason that she was a _girl_ and therefore was seen as more delicate)

After a few visits, he tried to follow her a little more, to see how she interacted with others now that she didn't have a team to fall back upon.

Apparently, she and Ino had reconciled, perhaps becoming even better friends then they had been in their youth.

She had become _very_ close with Kiba, and Sasuke decided that he didn't like the way the dog-boy lingered every time she gave him a tight hug. _Remember when her hugs were only for you? _a voice inside him whispered teasingly. _She could always find a way to bring you back from the lowest of your lows._

She had begun to tolerate Lee's ever-constant romantic advances, giggling every time he proclaimed her as the "most beautiful blossom in all of Konoha." _She used to dismiss him every time he opened his mouth._

He noticed that she still frequented Ichiraku, often meeting Kakashi there to talk about who-knows-what. (Unfortunately, he couldn't sneak in further to hear their words, because Sasuke did not have confidence in his henge around his grey-haired ex-sensei) They laughed often, and Kakashi's usual book was absent every time. Perhaps he had come to realize that Sakura was much more pleasant company than the other members of Team 7?

However, as much as Sasuke had watched (stalked) his old village, that didn't mean he was prepared for their eventual reunion.

It happened without warning: the intruder alarm set off in the middle of the day, interrupting the training he had been going through inside one of Orochimaru's bases. He had expected some push-over jonin from Iwa (they had been getting a lot of those recently), so he got into attacking position without thought. Nevertheless, the voices he heard amplified by the empty hallways proved him wrong.

_Sai! Make sure you check to the left! _

_Okay, ugly. You don't need to get so anxious._

His mouth went dry.

Without much warning, his area of the base exploded, prompting him to leap out of the way of the giant crater created, looking down at the damage. Looking back at him was a pale boy that bore a striking resemblance to him during his younger years, eyes blank yet calculating. But the only thing Sasuke was interested in was the Konoha symbol on the boy's headband.

Footsteps sounded from the boy's left, a distinct voice quickly following.

"Sai! What the hell are you doing!" the woman yelled, sounding fiery, passionate, and…familiar. A cold feeling of apprehension pooled in his stomach and he swallowed nervously.

As soon as she broke into the clearing, his eyes darted over immediately, drinking in the form that he had stared at so many times before. Her chest was heaving with a mix of anger and exertion, and her fists were clenched tightly.

However, instead of noticing the man standing on the top of the crater, her bright green eyes glared directly at the pale boy, who was still looking at Sasuke.

"How could you be so stupid?! You _do_ realize that this mission is supposed to be _covert_? You're acting just like Naruto, being-"

"Sakura."

He watched her freeze up immediately, a look of terror and surprise on her face.

(He noted that she must have been thinking rather illogically if she didn't expect to find him when exploring the base he lived at)

She turned to face him slowly, giving him the direct eye contact that he hadn't shared for the past two years. Even when he was a Konoha genin, he had been especially attracted to her eyes, a vivid shade of green that went well with her pink hair, a personification of spring, hope, and beauty that made Sasuke feel uncomfortable. Even when he was so far away, he still felt that he would corrupt her with his darkness. No matter how much pain and bloodshed she had seen and experienced, she still looked as innocent as she had been as a genin. The only thing that had changed was….

…..those eyes of hers no longer held that nervous glint that always appeared in his presence. Instead, they were filled with pain and realization, instantly making him feel guilty for reasons he couldn't quite pin down.

"Sa…Sasuke…kun," she whispered softly, more to herself than to anyone else.

And in that moment, Sasuke knew that, no matter how he tried to break all his bonds, he would always have a weakness for pink and green.

* * *

**yeah, I forgot the exact dialogue at the end, so I made up a little of it.**

**AH SASUSAKU ANGST AND FEELS. UGGGH.**


	4. Day Four: Misspent Youth

**I love stories that involve business Sasuke, and I love stories with Dr. Sakura….so I decided to use both. (;**

* * *

Title: Of Drunken Kisses

Summary: The first time she had met Sasuke, he was high at a party and they ended up hooking up in the bathroom. Now, she was sitting in his office and he was looking over her resume.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: "Misspent Youth"

Rating: M

Warnings: none

Comments: AU SasuSaku is ridiculously addicting.

* * *

High school Sakura had many different layers to her social personality.

Firstly, she was Valedictorian of her class, filling up her class schedule with honors classes and never-ending A+'s.

Secondly, she was devoted to her extracurricular: soccer, dance, student government, National Honors Society…..and many other things that made her college applications become an admission counselor's dream.

But there was also a part of her, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, that was fascinated by the raging parties her peers would hold, with never-ending alcohol and bad decisions. Since she was quite popular, she had no trouble securing an "invite" to said parties (though with her friend Ino, it was more like she was forced to go), and she tried to attend at least one every other week.

Normally, her routine at every party was simple: say hi to Naruto (who was usually the host), meet up with Ino, accept a drink from Ino, find an attractive boy, drink enough alcohol to talk to said boy without getting self-conscious, and then (hopefully) kiss him a little before she eventually left for her own house.

It was through that very routine that she met Sasuke Uchiha.

She had heard about him before, but since he went to the rival school on the other side of town (Sound High School), she had never met him in person. Naruto talked about him a lot, saying something about how that boy "had the best drugs in the whole state." (Though Sakura personally did not partake in Naruto's nasty habit, she didn't scold him very often for it either)

According to Ino (her best friend), the boy was "hot, dangerous, and the biggest asshole you'll ever meet"…but Sakura assumed that her account was probably swayed due to the fact that Ino had been flat-out rejected by that boy. (At least Ino was dating Shikamaru now) According to Kiba, he was a "prick", and according to Neji, he was someone that "you shouldn't ever go looking for unless you want trouble."

Which made the occasion of meeting the infamous Sasuke Uchiha all the more exhilarating.

* * *

She had been quite tipsy at the time, collapsing onto Naruto's plush leather couch to stop the room from spinning. Four shots of tequila rushed through her system, and school was out for the summer, so she could stay all night at the party, eventually sleeping off her drunken haze while lying on the same soft couch that she was now occupying.

Except…she then noticed that her back was definitely _not_ resting on the cool leather. Instead she felt warmth, which quickly began to move from underneath her.

"Hey, could you get off?" a gruff voice asked, and she could feel his chest vibrate with his words. She opened her eyes immediately, only to make eye contact with a boy who encapsulated everything she found attractive in a boy. (Messy dark hair, pale skin, hard muscles, smoldering eyes…) Her head was lying on his lap, and they were the only ones on the couch as the rest of their peers were dancing along to the aggressive music pounding through the speakers.

And she noticed that those smoldering eyes of his were definitely reddened.

_Oh. He's high. That's probably why he hasn't pushed me off yet._

"Who are you?" she asked simply, cheeks flushed from both alcohol and the close proximity.

"You don't know who I am?" he replied slowly due to his drugged haze.

"Well otherwise I wouldn't ask," she frowned, though the usual bite of her words was softened.

"Sasuke."

Her eyes widened considerably, remembering all the warnings she had heard about the boy, and moved to sit upright. Unfortunately, in her alcohol-inhibited state, she miscalculated the distance required, and instead of getting off, her head slammed into his, making them both groan in pain.

"What the fuck-?" he growled, giving her a glare.

"You shouldn't have been leaning over!" Sakura scolded, rubbing her forehead, which had hit his cheek. At that moment, they realized how their faces had not moved, and how their lips were centimeters apart.

She could smell his musky cologne, accentuated by the slight scent of smoke.

He could smell her sweet skin, accentuated by the sharp smell of alcohol.

"Do you want me to get us something to drink?" he suddenly asked, eyes not leaving hers. Her cheeks burned, and she had to fight the urge to let loose a nervous giggle.

"That sounds great."

"I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

And true to his word, he had been back in (less than) a minute, holding plastic cups full of undiluted whiskey that Sakura had to choke down and pretend she liked, all in attempts of impressing the attractive boy.

Nevertheless, in the end it didn't matter if he was impressed by her whiskey-chugging ability, because they ended up stumbling through the house to find an empty room, eventually finding a small bathroom to crash into.

He lifted her onto the sink counter, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist as their mouths met in a tangled, drunken frenzy, nipping and licking and trying to take in as much as each other as possible. He soon moved onto her neck, which he covered in sloppy kisses as she mewled along to his ministrations.

Somehow in this struggle, they both lost their clothing, leaving them absolutely naked and absolutely _not caring_ about any and all consequences from hooking up with a stranger.

And with her absolute approval, they did it right then and there, enjoying each other's bodies as long as possible before they had to put their clothes back on and collapse asleep on the same couch that they met on.

* * *

The next day, Sakura was the second one in the room to wake up, the first being Naruto, who was frantically trying to help clean up. She immediately began to help him, still giddy from last night's activities, which was enough to dissipate the hangover she would usually have at that point.

She was so giddy that she didn't hear Sasuke's phone ring downstairs…didn't hear him swear profusely…didn't hear him pack up his things as quickly as possible and sprint outside of the house without saying goodbye to everyone else.

Something crossed Sakura's dazed thoughts.

"Hey Naruto, what was this party for? Did you say it was a goodbye party?"

"Yeah," he said absentmindedly. "It was for Sasuke. He has to leave today for the fucking armed services. Can you believe his dad made him join the army right after he graduated?"

Her heart stopped and hopes sank.

_I mean, I guess that last night didn't mean anything _she thought bitterly.

"I threw this party in hopes that he would have fun for his last hours of freedom! He can be so boring sometimes, can you believe that guy is a virgin?"

Despite her now soured mood, she smiled a little to herself.

_Shit, I don't think I ever told him my name._

* * *

Years had passed without ever really thinking about that one night: she had finished high school, graduated college two years early, started medical school, and graduated from there a year early as well.

She was 23, talented and in the prime of her life.

In medical school, she had met her now-boyfriend, Shi, and she had just moved into his apartment in the heart of the city of Iwa. He worked at the hospital as a Radiologist, and now all she had to do to make their lives perfect was to land the job as both a Surgeon and the Intensive-care specialist.

Thus, that is why she sat in the waiting room of the Hospital Managers office, dressed in a long-sleeved white button down tucked into a tight black pencil skirt, black stilettos completing her "intelligent working woman who wasn't afraid of anything" outfit. (Shi had told her in a not-so-subtle way this morning that it was a big turn on to see her being so ambitious)

A dowdy older woman came up to her, giving her a tired smile.

"The Hospital Director will see you now," she said simply. "And I'm not sure if you know already, but his job is the business part of the building, not the medical, so I suggest not to go too into detail about your specialties."

Sakura nodded.

"You pretty much have the job already, he just needs to finalize it."

She nodded again, being led to the imposing-looking mahogany door separating her from the most important interview of her life. And as he walked in, closed the door, and turned to face the Hospital Director, she nearly had a heart attack.

(At least if she went into shock, she was already in the hospital)

"Hello, Miss Sakura Haruno," the man said in a matured, silky voice she knew all too well. He was writing something on a piece of paper before him, most likely her impressive resume. "You may sit."

Just to make sure, she looked intently at his desk to see his name.

_Sasuke Uchiha._

Fuck.

It was only a matter of seconds before he looked up, gazing at her for the briefest moments before his dark eyes widened in surprise.

"You-"

"Um, hello," Sakura said awkwardly, though she was too busy taking in the muscled form accentuated by his well-fitting suit. His hair was still as messy as she remembered, though neither of them was drunk and neither of them was breathing at the moment.

"_You're_ Sakura Haruno?" he said, pausing for a second. "The one who-"

"Y-Yes, I guess so," she stammered out, cheeks flushing rather attractively. "Though you left before I could say anything."

Shit. That came out more embittered than she had meant it to.

"I didn't have a choice," he frowned. "And once I got back a few years later, Naruto wouldn't tell me anything about you, not even your name."

"Naruto had a crush on me when we…uh…," she answered awkwardly, brushing a stray hair out of her face. "So when he found out, he wasn't exactly happy with you."

"That _would_ explain why he hasn't talked to me in 4 years."

She looked down. "Does this mean I won't get the job?"

He sighed. "You're the most qualified person that's come into this office for a long time, so to ignore your application just because we hooked up when we were 17 would be stupid."

She smiled. "Thank you so much. This job is very important to me."

He smiled for a second, meeting her happy look. "Would you like to have coffee sometime?"

She hesitated. Dozens of excuses ran through her mind at once. _This is your new boss, you have Shi, you two just met again, you're only attracted to his looks, you can't do this to yourself._

"Yeah, that sounds great," she said softly before collecting her bag, smoothing out her skirt, and going towards the door. (With her back turned, she couldn't see a very pleased Uchiha roaming his eyes on the body that long ago he had marked as his)

"Was it your first time?" he asked suddenly, surprising himself. She stopped in her tracks and didn't face him.

"Yes," she whispered, before a rush of confidence surged through her, prompting her to turn her head around and give him a teasing smirk. "But I heard that it was _your_ first time as well."

With that, she left the room, leaving Sasuke with thousands of thoughts racing through his mind, most of them involving Sakura wearing nothing but those seductive black heels of hers.

* * *

**WOW I ENDED THAT WITHOUT A KISS OR SEX.**

**I really liked this story (you can probably tell, because I wrote about 50% more than I usually do with oneshots), and I kinda want to continue it, but I don't know…ugh.**


	5. Day Five: Flood

**Did anyone else notice how close Kiba was to Sakura when the whole "go after Sasuke" fiasco was going on? He seemed to care about her emotions ****_a lot_**** in the whole thing, and he was one of the only people who knew she was "confessing" to Naruto.**

* * *

Title: Unexplored Territory

Summary: Waves of jealousy hit him full force, and it wasn't long before he was close to drowning.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: "Flood"

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: Angry, sexually frustrated kisses are the best kind. (:

* * *

Although Sasuke was not the most observant man when it came to others' emotions, he definitely noticed the change in Sakura's interactions with the male population. Since he had been gone for so long, he didn't know if she was _always_ like this, or if it had only happened upon his return.

Which is why he was morbidly curious as to why Sakura was taking a break from the taijutsu practice between her and Lee. (Sasuke had been practicing with Kakashi a few meters away, one of the only adult ninjas who felt comfortable enough to practice with an ex-missingnin)

"Hey Ugly," a pale boy beckoned from the sidelines, his (stupid) half-shirt showcasing his obvious muscles. From what Sasuke had heard, his name was Sai, and he called Sakura "ugly" in some form of endearment. (Apparently she stopped caring about it a long time ago)

Sakura dropped what she was doing, giving Lee a nod of acknowledgement. A thin layer of sweat was making her skin glisten in the sun, and due to the workout, she was panting heavily, so her words sounded like moans, which Sasuke tried his best to ignore.

"H-hey," she panted. "Do you need something, Sai?"

She walked over to the boy to continue the conversation, shutting off the rest of them from hearing. Sasuke watched her back as she went over, and just-so-happened to notice that she had ditched the pink-ish over-skirt she normally wore, her toned rear on full display with her impossibly tight black spandex shorts.

Kakashi seemed to notice where Sasuke was looking, and coughed loudly so that he faced his opponent once more. But out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sai talking to Sakura about something, being a lot closer to each other than he thought was necessary.

Suddenly, Sakura raised her hand to grab Sai's bicep, and instead of punching him (as Sasuke expected her to), she rubbed it slowly in a comforting manner.

Sasuke choked a little on his spit.

"Is there something wrong?" Kakashi asked condescendingly, as if he knew something Sasuke didn't. "Something bothering you?"

Sai seemed to notice the Uchiha's little scene, and looked over at him with a strange frown.

Sasuke just told himself that all he could do at the moment was clench his hands tightly to let some of the emotion free.

_Why am I irritated, exactly? _

* * *

The next time Sasuke saw Sakura with another boy, she was walking down the street with _that cocky dog-boy _Kiba Inuzuka.

He couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but some little snippets of conversation were loud enough to be heard from the place he chose to stay (and eavesdrop).

"...you free tonight?" the boy grinned.

"…yes…long as…..doesn't mind," she answered, and Sasuke wished he could hear her entirely.

"Okay! See you at seven!" Kiba said finally, and he left shortly after…but not before squeezing the pink-haired girl in a tight hug.

Sasuke frowned, and watched as Sakura smiled lightly to herself.

* * *

Later that night, Sasuke Uchiha just so happened to be walking past Sakura's apartment around seven, _definitely not_ looking around for any signs of a brunette.

_Well, maybe he was._

The second he heard footsteps approaching, he hid expertly, silencing his chakra so that neither of the two would sense him. (That would be awkward, and he really didn't want to explain himself, since even _he _didn't know the reason he was here)

"Kiba?" he heard Sakura softly say as she stepped out of her door. She wasn't wearing her typical training/mission/work outfit, but instead had on a tight green dress that matched her pale eyes. He watched as every curve she had was on display, her hair loose and tickling her shoulders.

"Woah, Sakura. You look really nice!" Kiba grinned appreciatively, hugging her tightly. (Sasuke didn't like the way he pressed certain parts of her body to him)

"So where are we going?"

"You'll see!"

"Does this have anything to do with Sai asking me what my favorite restaurant was the other day?" she laughed teasingly. "I got scared, I thought _he_ was asking me out."

"Nah, Sai's just lookin' out for me," he responded quickly, giving her a wink. He placed his hand on the small of her back, pulling her towards him as he led her away.

Of course, Sasuke _needed_ to follow them, just to make sure nothing bad happened, of course.

* * *

They arrived at a small restaurant that Sakura described as "quaint and lovely" and how it was a "nice break from Hospital cafeteria food" and how "thankful" she was that Kiba took her there.

The two ninjas sat at a secluded table in the corner, making it very hard to spy on (stalk) them, but somehow Sasuke found a way. The conversation was nothing important at first, but soon it took a turn for (Sasuke's) worst.

"So how's the team since you-know-who came back?" he asked carefully, his eyes warm and shining with something Sasuke did not like.

"Well, it's been hard. But I kind of gave up on trying a long time ago," she smiled sadly. "He doesn't seem to want to do anything but train, so I'm just leaving him be."

"I'm sure he'll warm up to you eventually," Kiba assured. "Who wouldn't? He doesn't deserve you."

Sasuke did _not_ like how he was addressing _his_ gir—teammate.

"Thank you, Kiba," Sakura laughed lightly. "That means a lot to me."

A certain Uchiha's eyes narrowed.

* * *

Since she had to work early the next morning with Tsunade, Kiba and Sakura left shortly after they ate, with Kiba offering (demanding) to walk her home.

The night air was crisp and cool, so they walked close to each other, and it took Sasuke a whole lot of willpower to not make the boy's arm burn off when he wrapped it around the pink-haired girl's waist.

But soon enough, they reached her apartment, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Now he could go home, and forget everything that—

When they stopped at her door, they paused at looked at each other for moment, both quiet and hesitant.

"I had a really good time," Sakura whispered, taking one of his hands into her own. "I wouldn't mind doing this a lot more often…"

Sasuke stiffened.

"I can do that," Kiba smirked, his eyes glinting with something naughty that made something in Sasuke snap.

They leaned in closer and closer, and their lips were just about to touch when—

Sasuke Uchiha popped out of nowhere and knocked Kiba out immediately, the dog boy almost falling to the ground if Sakura had not grabbed his unconscious body as it dropped.

"S-Sasuke?!" she half-screamed. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"What are _you_ doing?" he growled, glaring at the boy in her arms.

"I can't believe you..," Sakura hissed menacingly, lying Kiba gently on the ground so that she could bring him back to consciousness. However, a hand on her shoulder stopped her from moving.

"Don't give him something he doesn't deserve," he frowned.

"What?"

"You know..," he said awkwardly. He had expected her to understand, to—

"You mean a kiss?"

_Fuck._

"Uh.."

"Why _shouldn't _I kiss him, Sasuke?" she said simply.

"Just…don't."

"Why. Not," she commanded, eyes fiery and completely done with whatever game he was trying to play.

"…."

"You know what, Sasuke?" she yelled, livid. "I'm tired of all this bullshit that you put me through! If you're somehow bothered with me and Kiba, tell me outright! Don't just come out of nowhere and knock him out like some sort of psychopa-"

In order to make her quiet, Sasuke tried something he had never done before, in all 17 years of his life.

_He kissed her._

It was like the painful fog that had surrounded his mind had been cleared, and he was flooded with all these overwhelming sensations and _emotions_….all he could focus on was Sakura: Sakura's lips…Sakura's taste…Sakura's sweet perfume…

Of all the thoughts racing though his mind, one stood out the most: _why the hell haven't I done this sooner_?

They broke away slowly, each of them blushing furiously and panting lightly.

"S-Sasuke..," she whispered softly, eyes wide.

"Hn."

"Was that your first kiss?"

He looked down, embarrassed. "Why would it matter?"

"…you're not very good at it."

His Sakura-high came to a crashing halt.

"_What_."

"I..I'm sorry, it wasn't horrible, it was just that you seemed a little inexperienced and-" she stammered out, only to be cut off by a challenging glare. He took her hand in his forcefully and slammed open her apartment door, pulling her with him without hesitantion.

"Well then we're just going to have to keep practicing until I'm better," he smirked, ready to bandage his wounded ego by making her take back her words….

…even if it took _many, many_ times.

* * *

The next morning, Kiba woke up on the ground, a massive headache making him wince.

"What the hell…?"

* * *

**Jealous Sasuke is the best Sasuke. (;**


	6. Day Six: Babysitting

**Happy Day Six!**

* * *

Title: Stop Being Such a Baby

Summary: The two are forced to watch over Kurenai's baby, and Sasuke can't get over the fact that the baby will not stop "assaulting" Sakura.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Prompt: Babysitting

Rating: T

Warning(s): none

Comments: You will _definitely_ not predict the ending. (;

* * *

"I still don't see why you agreed to this," Sasuke growled, giving his pink-haired teammate an icy glare. She looked away, pretending she didn't see his discomfort.

"It's a mission, Sasuke" she half-scolded. "Naruto's probably just doing this because of the little hospital stunt you pulled last week."

True, Sasuke had been a little _too_ aggressive when it came to avoiding the hospital, and a few days ago when Sakura had literally _dragged _him in, he decided to "get her back" by demolishing his hospital room with a few well-placed fire jutsus.

(She had about strangled him when she came back in the room)

So apparently Naruto decided to fault (abuse) his newfound power as the Hokage and give the bitter Uchiha the stupid _E-ranked mission_ of babysitting Kurenai's kid. And now, Sakura was forced to join in, since it was her responsibility to make sure he did not run away, kill the baby, or have a nervous breakdown.

The innocent-looking one-year old looked at them with wide eyes, watching them get more and more frustrated with each other. He had Kurenai's pale skin and Asuma's deep brown eyes, and made Sakura's heart leap a little every time he uttered "momma."

"Momma!" (By now, the child had found out how to get the pretty girl's attention)

"Oh, sweetie..," she cooed lightly, refusing to see Sasuke roll his eyes at her behavior. "Your momma's on a mission right now, so we'll be here overnight."

The kid blinked slowly, and crawled over to where Sakura was sitting on the couch, lifting his hands up so she would pull him into her lap. Once there, he gave a long sigh of contentment, and promptly nuzzled the underside of her breasts.

Sasuke's eye twitched.

Sakura seemed oblivious to the fact that she was getting assaulted, and continued whispering to him in her (cute) little baby voice.

"Oh, aren't you just the cutest thing?...Kurenai is so lucky to have you…..you seem so physically fit for your age…..Maybe I could visit you after this mission….."

"Sakura, you're talking to an infant. He can't understand you."

She gave him a murderous look, and if Sasuke didn't know better, he could have sworn that the "infant" did as well. "Well then how will he ever learn if no one speaks to him?"

"Hn."

"He seems very advanced already, so he should be spitting out words in no time!" she said excitedly, stroking the kid's cheek lovingly.

Sasuke sighed. Were all women like this around babies?

The kid nuzzled her breast once more, substantially more frantic than before.

"Sasuke, do you think you could get a bottle from the kitchen? I think he's hungry."

"Fine…," he growled, glad to get away from drooling infants even if just for a minute.

He came back, Sakura in the same position as before, just now resting the baby on her shoulder. Once again, he couldn't help but notice how the child pressed down on her breasts, and since she was dressed in a more civilian outfit of a green dress (that was skin-tight on her torso before billowing out after her waist), he could see _exactly_ how they pressed together.

He suddenly found himself wishing that she had worn her usual baggy red tank-top.

She sat up from the couch and he gave her a wary look. Taking the bottle from her hand, she instructed him to sit down where she had just been, and when he didn't cooperate, she shoved him down quite forcefully. The baby was placed in his arms, instantly squirming, uncomfortable in Sasuke's intimidating aura.

Just as she was about to give Sasuke the bottle, his expression stopped her in her tracks. He looked horrified, scandalized, and…..staring at her chest.

"You have _drool_ on you," he half-whispered, not taking his eyes away.

"Well h-hey! That doesn't mean you keep looking!" she stammered out, embarrassed. "It will dry eventually!"

The baby made a weird choking noise that alarmed them both, making Sakura drop the formula instantly, and plucking him from Sasuke's hands.

"Oh my god! What he could possibly be choking on!" she half-screamed, eyes wide. She pulled him on top of her left thigh, ready to perform the Heimlich Maneuver when…..the baby let out a _chuckle._

Both ninjas were absolutely shocked, and thus didn't move as the "baby" jumped to the floor and poofed into a cloud of smoke.

As it cleared, their hearts nearly stopped.

"Kakashi?!" they yelled, though Sakura was considerably more emotional with her response.

"Yo," the copy-nin said casually, crossing his arms as if he _hadn't _been pretending to be a one-year-old child just a few seconds ago.

"What the fuck?" Sasuke said quickly.

"This was all a test!" Kakashi said (too) cheerfully, looking at them with his exposed eye crinkling in amusement. "And only Sakura passed!"

"What-"

"Sakura, you officially cleared to reproduce whenever you see fit in the future," he explained, making her flush. "Sasuke….uh….well….you'll need to work on it."

There was an awkward pause.

Sakura's expression suddenly soured upon realizing something.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei…..if this was all a test….why did you…"

"Why did you see it necessary to rub yourself against Sakura on…certain places?" Sasuke hissed out, his eyes starting to redden from the anger. Kakashi chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head and refusing to look at either of them.

"Well…I had to make it very realistic..," he "explained," before giving Sasuke an interested look. "Why would _you_ care so much, Sasuke?"

"…."

"You know, Sasuke…I _could_ clear you to have kids as well, there'd just be one requirement."

Since Sasuke looked too enraged to reply, Sakura asked for him. "What, Sensei?"

"You'd have to do it with Sakura," he said simply, secretly loving the way that Sakura blushed furiously, and Sasuke just gave him a look that screamed…._"already planning on it, you asshole."_

"I hate to leave you two by yourself, but I need to report the results to the Hokage!" he chirped, instantly poofing into smoke.

The two young adults were silent for a very long time.

"Are you physically able to reproduce?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

Sakura nearly choked.

"Of course I am! In case you haven't notice, I _did_ go this thing called 'puberty,'" assuming he was questioning her femininity.

"So you can."

"Yes!" Now why is that so important?"

"Hn," he muttered, leaving the apartment. Sakura followed him.

"What does _that_ mean?"

"I still owe you a physical, right?"

She fought the blush that threatened to rise. He made it sound so _dirty_, but—"Yes, you do."

"I'll come in tomorrow."

* * *

**Wow that last line was meant to be funny because it's definitely is supposed to be a "that's what ****_he_**** said" moment.**

**I wrote this in 30 minutes…haha. I have work and other things tonight, and I needed to get it done fast. **


	7. Day Seven: The Deep End

**I haven't been swimming yet this summer. Oh well. );**

**I have another few weeks of freedom before college….**

* * *

Title: CPR

Summary: And as Sasuke felt the water fill his lungs, he mused that just one look at Sakura's bikini had the potential to drown a man.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: "The Deep End"

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: Today's my birthday, so here's something 100% angst free 3

* * *

The first time Naruto had woken up Sasuke at seven in the morning to go swimming, the dark-haired boy just thought his friend was just being his usual stupid self.

He didn't leave until Sasuke agreed, and waited outside his door until Sasuke had gotten dressed and packed to go to the local lake. Armed with towels, sunglasses, and a car, Naruto declared that they were ready to be "kings of the beach!"

(Sasuke wasn't exactly a fan of loud crowds, so the lake was not a favorite spot of his)

They had made the twenty-minute drive a little faster than usual (most likely because Sasuke refused to let Naruto drive), and it wasn't long before they could hear the excited screams of little kids and the loud chatter of the crowd. Already dressed in swimsuits, they quickly found a place to put down their towels.

"This is stupid," Sasuke commented slowly, still in his shirt, even though the temperatures were blazing. "What do we do now?"

"You'll see," Naruto half-giggled, really freaking Sasuke out. The blonde had taken off his shirt already, and for some reason, decided to practice flexing his biceps. Huffing out a deep sigh, Sasuke sat on the towel with a bored expression, pulling on some sunglasses just in case he wanted to try to sleep. But a loud cry from Naruto broke his haze….

"Sakura! Fancy seeing _you_ here!" the blonde said cheerfully, and Sasuke did his best not to have a heart attack. Though it sure as hell wasn't a secret that Naruto loved Sakura, it was _definitely_ a secret that Sasuke did too…and he would die before admitting that to the world.

"Naruto, do you come here every day? Or just the ones I work?" the girl laughed, her voice smooth and pleasant even though she probably woke up 40 minutes ago. Meanwhile, Naruto just awkwardly chuckled to himself.

"Oh, did you not bring Kiba today?"

"Nah, I brought _this_ douche-bag here instead!" Naruto chirped, pointing to Sasuke (who had yet to look over).

"Well at least he won't be any trouble," she sighed. "Kiba's little fake-drowning stunt nearly got him banned from the lake."

With that, she walked to the large lifeguard chair, carrying her heavy red board with one arm. As Sasuke watched inconspicuously through his sunglasses, he noticed that the backs of her legs were slightly covered by sand and—

_Oh. She was a lifeguard. That made sense._

However, for now she wore a large tshirt over whatever swimsuit she had, protecting her from being leered at by men and boys wh—

_Oh. And now she's taking off her clothes._

Pulling off the shirt, she revealed her lightly tanned, _extremely _fit body, clothed only a tiny red spandex bikini had made his mouth run dry. She climbed up the ladder to the chair quickly, _certain_ parts of her jiggling enticingly, while _other parts _remaining taut (and perfect).

He vaguely heard Naruto laugh.

"This is your first time seeing her in a bikini, yeah?" he asked teasingly, not even needing to wait for an answer. "I've been here every day of the summer that she works, so I can admire her without getting…._ over-excited_."

Sasuke made a noise of discomfort, wanting this conversation to be over as quickly as possible. "Is the water cold?"

"Well, yeah…kinda…I mean-"

"Let's swim."

* * *

They alternated swimming in the water and sitting on the towel quite evenly, the minutes passing faster than Sasuke was possible in crowded areas. Truthfully, he tried to keep his eyes off of Sakura as much as possible, but knowing that she was being hired to watch_ him_ (Well, and the rest of the people on the beach, but whatever) was a little thrilling.

While he was sitting, he let his mind wander as to what her plans were over the summer. She had said something about a medical camp, but since it was now July, he assumed it was sometime in August. The majority of her female friends (Temari, Ino, TenTen, and Haku) were gone until September, and he felt a little guilty that the only thing she could do was work her (toned) ass off at work while she waited for summer to be over.

What did she do for fun? He knew she took part in at least a dozen after-school activities, but those were gone until September as well. He went through his list of "things that Sakura does to be happy:"

- Read nonfiction books

- Study?

- Goes jogging

- Volunteers at the animal shelter

- Volunteers at the hospital

- Volunteers everyhwere

- Hangs out with people?

(He wondered if she was enjoying her summer, and if she found any new female friends to be around in these hot months)

"Sakura-darling!" a boy yelled loudly from behind Sasuke, scaring him shitless, even though he refused to show it. "Time to switch chairs!"

"Thanks, Suigetsu!" Sakura responded in a (much too) sweet tone, and he opened his eyes to watch her descend the ladder on the high-perched stand. Her foot slipped a little on her way down, and it took him a lot of willpower not to rush over, even though she immediately caught herself before she fell.

"Here, lemme help you with that," a pale-haired boy grinned, running over with a perverted grin set firmly on his face. Of all the things to wear, he had on a _speedo_, putting his body on alarmingly full-display as he…. helped Sakura off the ladder.

Her skin brushed his.

Her back hit his chest.

His arms grabbed her waist.

Her ass rubbed against his-

Sasuke audibly growled, scaring Naruto awake.

"Is something wrong?" the blonde yawned, not noticing Sasuke's homicidal glare.

"We're going swimming."

"Um…okay…"

"Over there," he said darkly, pointing to where Sakura was being re-stationed. Naruto gulped.

"I don't know, man, that's pretty deep…"

"Suck it up. We're going there."

* * *

It hadn't been more than a minute before Sasuke started feeling weird. (And it wasn't only just because he could see Sakura's body perfectly from his location in the water)

He tried to continue, but apparently he had overestimated his body's capability of swimming.

Naruto had given up truing to keep up, so he said at the dock where Sakura was, talking to her as she faced the lake. Their conversation was apparently getting quite animated, for she was trying hard to remain professional and stay serious, but little soft giggles kept coming out of her soft lips.

His vision blurred for a second, and in that moment, he realized something awful about himself: he'd rather die than ask for help.

He kept sinking lower and lower, and eventually gave up trying to think of the usual things you would if you were approaching death. Instead, he just thought of Sakura. How would she react if he died? She had told him in 6th grade that she loved him, but she hadn't said anything about it since then. Was he doomed to graduate high school next year without having ever called her his girlfriend?

And as Sasuke felt the water fill his lungs, he mused that just one look at Sakura's bikini had the potential to drown a man.

* * *

"Oh my fucking god!" Sakura suddenly exclaimed, scaring Naruto, who had been next to her, listening attentively.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she frantically jumped from the lifeguard chair, pulling the lifesaver she had with her.

One word: "Sasuke!"

She dived into the deep water effortlessly, and if this had been another situation, Naruto would have taken the opportunity to stare at her well-toned ass.

….If this had been another situation.

"Sasuke! SAKURA! DON'T DIE!" he cried loudly, alerting the other lifeguard, Suigetsu, of the situation.

Sakura came up dramatically, gasping for air as she lifted the unconscious Sasuke onto her shoulder and lifesaver. She paddled quickly to the shore, and Naruto followed, just far enough away so that he didn't get in the way.

Once on shore, Suigetsu was panicing.

"Oh my god—Sakura! You're safe! Let me do the CPR, you go rest, you go-"

"No," she said immediately, plopping Sasuke on his back and getting him into position. She put her hands together and pulsated her movements on his chest, then moving them to open his "air passageway" as she blew twice into his mouth. His skin was cold, and she wasn't sure if it was because of the temperature of the water or his medical situation…nevertheless she was inwardly freaking out.

Nearly everyone on the beach was staring at them right now, including Naruto, who looked close to having a panic attack from not being able to help either friend at the moment.

After the third set of pushing down on his chest, she was starting to _really _freak out, with tears threatening to spill, nevertheless, she continued, and put her lips over his again, only to have him open his eyes and groan into her mouth.

She shot back instantly, a little embarrassed, but still worried.

"Sasuke? Can you hear me? Do you feel okay? Is your vision blurry? Is-"

"I'm fine," he said weakly, skin pale as he went to stand up. The crowd has dissipated at seeing that he lived, and it was only him, Sakura, Naruto, and that annoying coworker of hers.

"No you are not!" she hissed. "Do you realize _how terrified I was_? What if you died?"

"…."

"Come with me to the First-aid room, asshole," she said menacingly, looking away. He had no choice but to follow her inside of the lakehouse building all the way to a small room that seemed more like a glorified closet.

She pushed him down onto a hospital-like bed, forcing him to sit, and pulling out a stethoscope from a nearby drawer. The cold metal made him hiss slightly, but he was content with watching her worry over him, listening to his breathing intently with her face next to him.

"Have you done CPR before?" he asked suddenly, almost making her jump.

"You're not supposed to talk during this," she scolded, though her words had lost their bite.

"I'll stop if you answer me."

With an exasperated sigh, she dropped the medical device and looked up to meet his stare, her face now only a foot from his. At the distance, he could see how her eyes were faintly red, most likely from crying, and it made guilt pool in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes. But you're the only one where it looked like it wouldn't work," she said quietly, still shaken.

"Do you mind if….uh…," he stammered, wondering if the light-headedness he was experiencing was from the literal lack of oxygen or just an overwhelming urge to do something courageous.

"If we _what_?"

"Do you mind if we do it again?"

* * *

Suigetsu and Naruto had been glaring at each other for at least thirty minutes before Sasuke and Sakura wandered out of the building.

"FINALLY!" Naruto sighed.

"Sakura, you performed excellent today!" Suigetsu chimed in loudly. "I can take you on a celebratory date after your shift!"

There was a silence as the two boys looked from Sakura's sheepish expression to her hand, which was held in a firm grim by one content-looking Sasuke Uchiha.

Suigetsu and Naruto gulped.

"Sorry, she has plans with her _boyfriend_ tonight," Sasuke finished for her, giving them a triumphant smirk.

"SASUKE YOU ASSHOLE!"

"SAKURA! I SHALL WIN YOUR HEART BACK!"

* * *

**Happy birthday to my best friend and I! Now it's time to get our tattoos this evening. Heehee~!**


	8. Day Eight: Accidents Happen

**IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY**

**I GOT A TATTOO**

**I'M HAPPY**

* * *

Title: A Flash of Love

Summary: Shikamaru's new claim to fame? He was the reason Sasuke and Sakura finally got married…even if most of the credit goes to Sakura's panties.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: Accidents Happen

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: This is short (and I apologize) because I was working the entire day.

* * *

Sasuke was desperate.

"Shikamaru, I need your advice," he asked quietly, obviously intruding on the lazy nin's cloud-watching space.

"...troublesome….," he groaned, though secretly very interested in what the proud Uchiha had to say.

"I mean it. I can't think of any other _normal _men in the village."

"Ugh…just spit it out already…."

"If I asked Sakura to be my wife, would she accept?"

Shikamaru smirked lightly to himself. "Well this sure is sudden. Didn't you just start dating her a few months ago?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Yeah, but…"

"But you want to have sex."

Though Shikamaru had expected Sasuke to react amusingly to that comment, he _sure_ didn't expect Sasuke to turn all sorts of red and have a coughing fit.

"Why would you just-"

"—You do realize you have to be married for that, right? There's not a chance in hell of Sakura Haruno letting herself get pregnant without a stable marriage first."

"I could assume that," Sasuke grumbled.

"But before I can give you any of my wisdom, you gotta tell me what made you come to the conclusion you need to get hitched immediately," Shikamaru said casually, though his sly expression told another story. (Thankfully Sasuke couldn't see his face from his position)

"…"

"Come on…."

"She was cooking in her apartment."

"…okay? Be more specific."

"Yesterday I came back from a mission early in the morning and uh…. wanted to see her… but when I got to her apartment, she was already awake."

"Making breakfast?"

"Making breakfast…," Sasuke paused, looking around to see if anyone else was listening. "…..without clothes on."

Shikamaru failed to choke back the laugh that suddenly took over him, and he chuckled for a solid minute while Sasuke Uchiha glared at him with all sorts of murderous intent.

""Did you…_hah_…did…_haha_…..did you say anything to her?" Shikamaru managed to get out eventually, voice shaky.

"Of course I confronted her," Sasuke said simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"While she was naked?"

"No, she had an apron on."

"..but that means she wasn't naked?"

"She had on 'panties,'' he grumbled out, and Shikamaru realized that he was a very lucky man indeed to live to hear the survivor of the Uchiha clan say the word 'panties.'

And to push him a little bit more-

"What color were they?"

Sasuke clammed up, his cheeks just showing the briefest tint.

"Black? Pink? Red? See-through?"

Sasuke somehow found his voice, because he managed to half-yell out "red!" while looking away, completely embarrassed.

"So what did she say when you came in 'unexpectedly'?" Shikamaru smirked.

_"S-Sasuke!" Sakura said in her best helpless-heroine tone, batting her lashes slightly. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming over! What an embarrassing accident!"_

"…"

"…..Sasuke."

"Hn."

"Did you run away right after that?"

"…."

Shikamaru sighed, realizing that there was no one more clueless about how Sakura actuallyfelt then her own boyfriend.

"Go for it."

"…go for what?" Sasuke asked with narrowed eyes.

"Troublesome…just ask her to marry you. She'll say yes."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

Sasuke frowned. "Well if you're wrong, I can easily kill you."

"You're welcome…," Shikamaru said finally, waiting for the crazy man to leave before he rolled his eyes at him. Sitting back once more to resume his cloud-watching, a conversation from last week fresh in his mind.

_Sakura was desperate._

_"Shikamaru, I need your advice," she asked quietly, obviously intruding on the lazy nin's cloud-watching space._

_"...troublesome….," he groaned, though secretly very interested in what the usually proud konoichi had to say._

_"I mean it. I can't think of any other normal men in the village to ask this, but..."_

_"Ugh…just spit it out already…."_

_"What do I need to do to get Sasuke to propose?"_

_Shikamaru smirked lightly to himself._


	9. Day Nine: Bugs

**I should write more instead of just scrolling through tumblr all day…**

* * *

Title: This Shirt is Bugging Me  
Summary: In which Sasuke has a secret phobia, Kiba is too much of a flirt, Shino is vengeful, and Sakura is oblivious.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.  
Prompt: Bugs  
Rating: T  
Warnings: none  
Comments: Sasuke didn't leave the village, but Sakura and Naruto still trained with their respective sanin.

* * *

Team 7 knew that Kurenai had lost a bet when Kakashi suddenly declared that she would be overseeing their training for the day.

"Take care of my kids!" he grinned as he left, leaving the poor brunette woman with the most high-maintenance ninja youth of the generation.

"Okay," she sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples in efforts to soothe the soon-to-be-coming headache. "We're going to stick to light sparring today. My team versus team 7."

The six teens looked warily at each other, sizing each other up as covertly as possible.

"Sakura and Kiba."

The pretty pink-haired girl nodded, ignoring the saucy wink Kiba sent her way.

"Naruto and Hinata."

The shy konoichi flushed a bright shade of red while avoiding eye contact.

"…and Shino with Sasuke."

Sasuke surprisingly did not look pleased with the situation, looking at the Aburame-clan member with poorly-hidden distaste in his eyes. And as the rest of his peers moved to spread out around the training grounds, he remained standing next to Sakura.

"Sakura, could you switch with me?" he asked quietly, wincing a little as he watched Shino reach into his jacket.

"Kurenai wouldn't be happy with that," she frowned, though a little excited that the usually proud boy was asking her for help. "Why?"

"Hn…Kiba is too strong for you."

Her mouth just about dropped open.

"Sasuke…you do realize that I am trained personally by the Hokage daily, right? Only a quarter of her curiciulum is medical jutsu…the rest is just as intensive as what you do with Kakashi and Naruto does with Jiraya."

He kept looking at Shino, watching the bugs start to swirl around him menacingly. Sakura followed his gaze, and…

"….Sasuke, are you scared of Shino's bugs?" she asked incredulously. He immediately grabbed her upper arms, looking intensely into her eyes.

"Don't. Say that. Out loud," he hissed, eyes blazing. By now, his attitude had caught Kiba's attention, causing the dog-boy to break up his tense conversation by yelling loudly.

"Hey, Uchiha! Get your hands off my partner!" he yelled brazenly, arms crossed. "You're stuck with Shino!"

With a final growl of displeasure, Sasuke left to face his match, making sure to give Sakura a scathing look as he walked away.

* * *

Half-way through the battles, Sakura was feeling pretty damn good. Kiba had run out of chakra quickly at the beginning of he battle (he used up too much by flaunting his most flashy jutsu), and now he was relying on Taijutsu alone. Akamaru was passed out, and it was all Kiba could do to make it seem like he intended to let her win.

Which, of course, is the worst thing you could do to a disciple of the hokage.

"Woah, Sakura. You're doing pretty well...I've barely held myself back!" he smirked, making her reel her fist forward and slam it into his nose.

Even though the blood was dripping down Kiba's chin, he continued.

"Do ya wanna go somewhere after this? I-"

But instead of hearing a date proposal, the two heard something else a lot more different.

Sasuke Uchiha screamed.

Screamed.

Like a little girl.

As they whipped their heads in that direction, they were greeted by the sight of Sasuke pulling and tugging at his shirt, before viciously tearing it off.

Hundreds of bugs swarmed out, making him stop and realize what his episode must have looked like.

Shino merely sat there, perfectly still.

"Sasuke!" Sakura asked quickly, trying to ignore his shirtless torso but failing miserably. "What's wrong?!"

"Nothing," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"Haha, Uchiha's scared of bugs!" Kiba exclaimed loudly, definitely not helping the situation.

"No one should be scared of bugs," Shino said quietly, making everyone shiver. He sounded threatening-as if...

"Go, my lovelies."

Every single insect in the entire area headed towards the three ninjas (Sasuke, Sakura, and Kiba), making them yell and scream in unison.

The bugs found their way down kiba and Sakura's shirts, so they tore them off just as Sasuke had done before.

As soon as they stood there half-naked and terrified, Shino stopped the "attack," leaving them panting for air.

"There. You must have learned your lesson," he said simply before leaving the training grounds.

No one stopped him.

And after he was gone, the two boys realized how they were dressed, and more importantly: how Sakura was dressed.

"Eeep!" She squealed, trying to simultaneously cover her chest (at least she had a bra on) while picking up the torn shreds of her clothing. She suddenly found herself wishing that it was socially acceptable for women to go around without shirts on.

"Hey, Sakura," Kiba smirked, eyes roaming her frame freely. "About that date..."

He didnt have time to finish, because all of a sudden Sasuke Uchiha's fist met Kiba's already bleeding nose, and he passed out unconscious.

"Got him for you," Sasuke said confidently.

"I already had him close to death!" Sakura protested, eyes firey. Like hell she was going to let Sasuke take credit for something she had clearly-

"-do you think you could heal me up?" He said suddenly, failing to look away from her chest every so often.

"Uh, sure.."

"But not here."

"...then where?"

"My apartment."

She paused.

"I guess that's okay," she accepted, following him as they walked away from the training fields. She didnt even register that Naruto and Hinata had left already, and that Kurenai was nowhere to be seen.

_Normally with a boy, I would say no, but I'm pretty sure Sasuke is the least likely person to try anything. I mean, come on. _Hinata_ would be more likely to make a move on me._

Once they left, Kakashi appeared into the clearing suddenly, book gone and a proud smile firmly in place.

"I told you, Kurenai," he teased, speaking to the woman who had also poofed into the area. "I knew it would work. Thanks for telling Shino to do that whole creepy bit, too. It worked beautifully."

"I didn't tell him to do anything," she frowned, and the two lapsed into uncomfortable silence.

* * *

**I'm typing this on my phone and my fingers hurt. Goodnight!**

**Tomorrow = School Days update (;**

**(it's about time, Jesus Christ)**


	10. Day Ten: Recipe

**This week I am freaking out about finding college dorm room stuff…ugh. It would be so much easier if I could see in person what the room would look like, but my college is 7 hours away ….so I'm just looking at a bunch of DIY room ideas on pinterest. (;**

* * *

Title: A Tad Too Bitter

Summary: Ino told Sakura that marriages without cooking were sure to fail, and now Sasuke has to desperately convince her otherwise.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: Recipe

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: They're already married in this (:

* * *

Sakura sighed in frustration, banging her head lightly on the kitchen counter with a groan.

"This is impossible," she complained aloud to no one in particular, glaring at the ingredients scattered across her once pristine tabletops.

If anything, she felt betrayed, having been told that this recipe was 'easy and simple!' and 'perfect for couples!' and she had foolishly believed it. And she had taken that advice point-blank without realizing she was signing herself up to commit to a horrendous catastrophe that may or may not include her dying from embarrassment.

The reason she felt so ashamed came solely from her best friend Ino. The blonde girl had let it slip in conversation that the biggest deal breaker in a marriage was one thing: cooking. If a woman couldn't cook correctly, she had no hopes of maintaining a healthy relationship, much less raise kids properly.

Which is why Sakura now regretted choosing such a difficult recipe, because Sasuke was supposed to come home any minute, and not only was the kitchen a mess…she also had nothing to show for it.

"Life sucks," she growled, straightening up and trying to brush the flour off of her apron to no avail. (The only good thing about this situation is that she bought a cute little frilly apron that made her look adorable)

She finally realized that the recipe was a lost hope, and began to start cleaning up….

…..only to hear the front door of the spacious apartment to open.

"Ah, shit," she swore softly, silently debating if it was acceptable to run away from the situation.

"Sakura?" she heard Sasuke call, sealing her fate.

"…yes?" she responded quietly, wincing.

"Are you in the kitchen?"

"Maybe…"

"What did you do today?"

"Nothing important…"

He then entered the room, freezing in place once he looked it over. From the flour that had spilled everywhere to the whipped cream residue on the oven, the room looked _awful._

"What happened?" he asked, his voice a bit strained. She couldn't help but shrink under his stare.

"I tried to make something."

"And…?"

"And it d-didn't work," she mumbled, eyes hidden by her soft pink hair.

"Why did you decide to start cooking all of a sudden?" he questioned, only to be answered with a choked sob.

"I-I-Ino said th-that if I c-couldn't cook, you wouldn't stay with m-me," she cried softly, her bright green eyes brimming with tears.

"Well that's stupid," he commented casually. "Is that all you're worried about?"

She cried louder, and he stammered to make her feel better.

"Ninjas are supposed to stay away from processed foods anyways, so you shouldn't have to stress yourself over something unnecessary."

Not knowing what else to do, he wrapped her up in his arms, and she reluctantly did the same to him. Even though she was rubbing all sorts of flour, eggs, and ingredients on him, he paid no mind, staying perfectly still until he could hear her breaths even out to normal intervals.

"Better now?" he whispered into her ear, uncharacteristically gentle (and romantic). "Don't cry over something stupid Ino said. She's just jealous that you're married before her."

"I know that," she mumbled into his chest, squeezing him tightly. "It's just that you have no idea how stressful it is to live up to everyone's expectations."

"Then just ignore them. I didn't marry you for your cooking skills…or lack of."

She tensed up, and he held his breath, ready for her to cry again. However, she had much more different matters in mind.

"But Sasuke, if I can't cook, I can't be a good mother to Shisui," she said longingly, her words nearly making him choke. He broke away from her instantly, expression full of confusion.

"Who?" he asked, staring her down. _She couldn't mean…_

"Sasuke, I've literally been pregnant for three months. You haven't noticed yet?" Sakura said incredulously, hands on her hips.

His mouth just about fell open, and if it weren't for the dramatic situation, Sakura would have laughed.

"I'm not a medical ninja! How was I supposed to guess?" he half-yelled, not sure why she hadn't just told him outright.

"Even _Naruto_ could tell!" she bit back.

There was a pause.

"What did you say his name was?"

"Shisui," she smiled. "I don't know why…it just fit."

His lips twitched upward.

"I like it."

* * *

**I feel like each chapter is getting progressively shorter. Whatever. I really didn't have much computer time today so this is the only thing I had time to write. **

**All the reviews I've been getting are making me so proud! I get an email-alert for each one and I can't help but smile. (:**

**(My story for the next chapter is going to be fun. I'm excited!)**


	11. Day Eleven: Classified

**If you ever want to see just how desperate people are to find love, just take a look at craigslist's missed "connections" page.**

**(haha I took this prompt in such a weird direction but whatevah)**

* * *

Title: Missed Connections

Summary: He already found the woman we was determined to marry…the next step was for her to answer his ad in the classifieds.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: Classified

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: You can never have too much AU

* * *

It was 6am when he first saw her, standing in line at the local cafe, waiting for her coffee while simultaneously looking like an angel from his dreams.

She was pale, with rose-petal lips and bright viridian eyes that were framed by thick, long lashes. The tips of her soft strawberry-blonde hair just barely brushed her shoulders, and she was wearing a thick black coat that was unbuttoned far enough that he could see a hint of a tight red dress.

Instantly, he was intrigued, and not just by her looks…she also held a copy of one of his books underneath her arm.

It wasn't his latest novel (the one that had gotten on the best-seller list), but one of his older works that he remembered working endless nights to finish. Truthfully, it was his favorite, and he was rather proud that she picked it out. But just as he was about to reach out and ask her about it, the barista interrupted, stealing his angel away from him.

"Triple espresso?"

"Yes, thank you," the woman said simply, and though her words were few, he couldn't help but admire how sweet and confident they sounded.

He found it rather ironic that, after all his years of writing, she was the first person that he truly looked at like art.

After she grabbed her hot beverage, (he noted that she took her coffee black and strong) she walked quickly through the obnoxious crowd of people, eventually passing Sasuke.

And she didn't even look his way.

All she left was a soft vanilla scent that wouldn't leave his senses for the next few hours.

* * *

That night, Sasuke went straight to his closest friend to discuss the morning's events.

"She was just so….perfect," he grumbled, sitting on Naruto's saggy couch and ignoring the beer on the ground in front of him. "I should have said something to her."

"What did she look like?" his blonde friend asked, still not recovering from the shock of Sasuke Uchiha actually _seeking out_ female company. For years everyone had just assumed he was asexual….at least until he came barging in to Naruto's apartment, demanding to talk about a girl he saw for literally 40 seconds.

"Attractive," Sasuke sighed. "And Konoha is such a big city…I'll never see her again."

"Don't be such a little kid about it!" Naruto scolded, hands crossed. "You're reminding me of those damn 'missed connections' ads that you always see online!"

Sasuke paused.

"What?"

"You know, where you fill out a paragraph explaining _where_ you saw this person, _what_ they were doing, and _why_ you want to see them again," he explained rather briskly. "But if she's our age, It'll just be easier to ask around…I know a _lot_ of people, and those people have friends, and _those_ people have-"

"Fine," Sasuke huffed out, picking up his coat to leave. "You ask around; I have a book to write."

"Authors..," Naruto cursed lightly, ignoring how Sasuke slammed the door shut as he left.

* * *

It was towards the end of that week that Sasuke saw her again, this time at the grocery store in front of Konoha Hospital.

She was in a different coat, a tan trench coat that was open down the middle and revealed another tight dress—this one a pale green that matched her eyes.

Instead of a huge shopping cart she opted for one of the smaller baskets, halfway filled with a small variety of vegetables and a box of green tea. A black bag hung from her right shoulder, and he couldn't help but wonder if she still was reading the same book as before.

So as she looked at different brands in the bread aisle, he walked down slowly, hoping to catch her eye.

And he was successful, because he certainly caught her eye.

He tripped.

And fell facedown.

"Oh my god!" she cried out, rushing over to him and dropping her basket on the floor. "Are you okay?"

He grunted something inaudible, pushing himself off the ground slowly, cheeks burning in embarrassment. His only solace was that now her attention was completely on him, bright green eyes meeting cool onyx.

"Your hand is bleeding," she observed quickly (before he did), and pulled his hand into her lap. "Let me help."

Even though his ego was hurt, his masculinity wounded…he couldn't find the motivation to move away, especially when her touch was warm, soothing, and everything he expected it to be.

She reached into her leather handbag to get a bandage, (he wondered if there was a reason to constantly carry around medical supplies) and he could plainly see his very first novel—the one that he had published when he was just seventeen.

"You like Sasuke Uchiha?" he asked suddenly, and it felt weird to say, coming from his own mouth. The girl froze for a second and raised her eyebrows, but nevertheless continued.

"He's one of my favorite authors," she explained, finishing her work. "Even though his first few books are a bit sloppy, I like the unpredictability of them."

Sasuke sighed. If Naruto were here, he would definitely love this girl.

"How many have you read?" he asked, prolonging the conversation even though they had both gotten off the floor at this point. She looked ready to leave, and it was all he could do to keep her there for a few more minutes.

"Only a few. I still have five left of his," she smiled. "I've been reading one every few days when I get free time. Though usually I get so many patients that I use my sleeping time to read."

"Patients?"

"Oh," she replied quickly. "I'm a doctor at Konoha Hospital"

"That's nice."

"Well….I have to pay for my things now," she said a bit awkwardly. "Hope your hand gets better!"

And as she walked away, Sasuke swore to himself that he would finally try that classifieds-missing-connections thing, no matter what.

* * *

As Sasuke typed his message, he had to stop himself from getting too wordy, trying not to turn his post into a whole novel. (Well, he _did _have a character-count limit to watch out for)

**_Young strawberry-blonde Doctor from Konoha Hospital_**

_I saw you getting your coffee a few weeks ago, and then ran (well…tripped) into you at the grocery store a week later. You took care of my hand without complaint; I'm hoping you'd do the same with the rest of me. _

_Please contact me soon._

He imagined her reading it late at night, eyes wide in wonder.

He imagined her reading it early in the morning, staring at the screen while sipping one of her espressos.

He imagined her smiling, and eagerly pressing the "reply" button.

He _didn't_ imagine Naruto to call him a few hours later.

"Come over right now!" the boy had said excitedly. "It's about your mystery-woman!"

* * *

When Sasuke showed up at Naruto's apartment, he could hear music blaring from the inside, and when he knocked, his friend quickly darted outside without letting Sasuke in.

"Hey! I think I finally found who you were talking about the other day!" the blonde grinned, patting Sasuke on the back, clearly proud of himself.

"Who?"

"You'll find out!"

"_Who_?" Sasuke hissed out. He was not about to be teased when it came to finding this girl, especially by someone with a lower IQ.

"She's inside," he said simply, not realizing how fast Sasuke's heart had stopped at those words.

"What's her name?" he muttered softly, eyes wide.

"Sakura Haruno…aka my best female friend!" he cheered. "I am so glad she finally has a man in her life that I can trust! Even if it _is_ an asshole like you!"

"Tell me about her," he replied in amazement. True, he had heard _many _stories about Sakura, but had never seen the face behind them. Naruto had been obsessed with her for the longest time, but had given up any romantic pursuits a few years ago. Now, they were just close friends, even though her busy schedule prevented her from visiting as often as some of his other acquaintances….which perhaps explained why he hadn't met her until recently.

"How about you find out yourself?" Naruto grinned wolfishly, gesturing towards the door. Sasuke numbly followed him inside with only one thought.

_Now all I have to do is make her fall in love with me too._

* * *

**I just realized that nearly all of my prompts have been in Sasuke's perspective….weird. I guess it's just me trying to show his inner romantic. (It's in there somewhere!) xoxo**

**I DO NOT ACTUALLY RECOMMEND MEETING UP WITH SOMEONE ON "MISSED CONNECTIONS" BECAUSE 80% OF THEM SOUND REALLY CREEPY. **


	12. Day Twelve: Chasing a Dream

**Sad music = sad writing**

* * *

Title: Dreamcatcher

Summary: Only Sasuke knows about Sakura's nightmares, and only Sasuke knows how to make them go away.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: Chasing a Dream

Rating: K

Warnings: none

Comments: happy day twelve~!

* * *

Sasuke would never admit it aloud, but he really preferred to share a room with Sakura when on missions.

Her skin was soft and smelled nice, and her hair felt like silk when it occasionally brushed his arm. But more than anything, he liked watching her sleep.

Yes, it sounded creepy…but there was something about the gentle rise and fall of her chest that provided a soothing rhythm that made him forget about all the stress and pressure of life (even if for just the briefest moment).

In their genin years where life was carefree, painless, and _simple_, her slumber was quiet, only broken by the occasional sigh. She liked to sleep on her stomach and hug the pillow, head tilted to her left no matter what side of the bed she was on.

However, after he returned to Konoha and after he won back his rights to go on missions, he noticed something had changed about Sakura.

She had nightmares.

Now while a nightmare every once in a while is common, (Sasuke had experienced many since he left Orochimaru)Sakura had been living out some form of hell every single night.

_"S-Sasori!" she breathlessly whispered, clenching the sheets with white knuckles. A bead of sweat dripped down her neck, her entire body trembling. A pained gasp left her lips, followed by a wordless whimper, followed by a choked "Chiyo-sama…"_

He wondered just how many people she had seen die since he had left, how many people she couldn't save.

_"Tsunade-sama," she cried out, tears leaking from her closed eyes. "The village…everyone is…."_

_More sobs continued, and the bed shook lightly._

How many ninja had died while in her arms? How many of them had trusted her to keep them alive?

_"Jiraya's dead," she whispered, body still. "What do we tell Tsunade?"_

It wasn't good for a konoichi to spill her secrets to whomever she spent the night with, even if she probably wasn't aware it was happening.

_"I guess I really am annoying," she said calmly, and it was so distinct that Sasuke had to check to make sure she wasn't actually awake. But nonetheless, she continued, a bittersweet smile on her lips. "No wonder why he left."_

_He froze._

_No wonder why…he….left?_

He secretly wondered if Sakura had any other men in her life besides the ones she merely fought alongside. Did she ever have any lovers? Did she flirt with other boys? Did she kiss any of them?

He wanted to say no, but he was too proud (_and scared and terrified and insecure_) to ask her directly.

_"I…love you," she gasped out one night, and he could feel his heart clench. "Even though I don't want to."_

_There was a long silence, yet every cell of Sasuke's body begged her to continue, begged her to spill the rest of her secrets from those pretty pink lips._

_"I…hate…you..."_

_No matter how hard he fought his instinct to hold her in his arms, nothing could change the instantaneous pain he felt in his chest, hard and sharp._

_(He wasn't sure if he'd ever get the chance to change her mind)_

_And since she was in such pain, and since she looked so…broken in that moment, he did something he had never done before._

_He initiated body contact._

_Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, and lightly pulled her close. The mood in the dark room instantly shifted, and her heartbroken expression smoothed into a blissful smile._

_ She was finally silent._

_She was finally silent for the rest of the night._

_(He stayed up to make sure)_

From then on, every time Sasuke shared a bed with Sakura, he pulled her into his arms just as before, enjoying the warm embrace that he could only dream of occurring in the daylight. For he knew that there was a strong possibility she would never trust him again after his betrayal, and an even stronger possibility she would never offer her heart to him.

When they were genin, he had taken her gentle presence for granted, and now that they both bitter and broken and_ ruined_ by the world around them, she could no longer bring him the same unconditional love and support.

(In his younger years, Sakura was the only one to believe in him. It was only logical that when he proved her wrong, her world would die along with his dreams)

During the daytime Sakura was cool and distant, avoiding eye contact…during the nighttime Sakura was warm and close, pressed against his body like nothing had changed between them.

So whenever he got the chance to hold her, he took it.

Their innocence was gone forever, but for at least a few hours at a time, Sasuke Uchiha liked to pretend that it had never left.

* * *

**I legitimately started this with the intention of making it cute and heartwarming, but now I just feel really depressed. Ugh…SasuSaku angst is so easy to fall into. (Excuse me while I now go cry over my OTP)**


	13. Day Thirteen: Fish Out of Water

**(I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter…)**

* * *

Title: Siren's Kiss

Summary: It isn't very often that you see a girl floating in the middle of the ocean.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: Fish out of water

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: I am so sorry

* * *

The waves crashed around the ship in an unpredictable rhythm, the spray of the ocean misting every crewmember on the deck. The majority of them were frantically moving things around, fixing the sails, checking the ropes, and other things, but one figure in particular wasn't doing a single thing…just looking over the side of the vessel, eyes glued to the water below.

"Hey man, stop looking over the railing!" a blonde man yelled out, grabbing Sasuke by the back of the shirt and pulling him away from the edge. His tunic was orange and hung around him loosely, threadbare around the elbows.

"Don't touch me, asshole," the black-haired boy grumbled, swatting Naruto's hands away. "I was just looking."

"Looking at _what_?"

"...I don't know...I just got the sudden urge to go over and see…"

Naruto shook his head condescendingly, arms crossed.

"You sound like one of those poor victims in all the stories…"

Sasuke frowned. "What?"

"You don't know?" Naruto asked, eyes wide. "There are supposed to be creatures in these particular waters that can lure sailors to their deaths!"

"I'm pretty sure I'd notice if I was being 'lured'..," Sasuke dismissed, rolling his eyes.

"Naw, you wouldn't!" Naruto assured. "Because _these_ creatures can turn into humans!"

"…humans?"

"Well, they'd _look_ like humans, but they'd actually be seducing you to your death!"

"…"

There was a pause, Naruto waiting for Sasuke to respond with a "oh no!" or "how horrible!"….but of course it never came.

"So what do you think?"

"I think that sounds stupid," Sasuke scoffed. "Did Kiba tell you that story?"

"…uh…"

"Thought so."

"Well just don't let Captain Kakashi catch you! He'll put you on cleaning duty for the rest of the week!" Naruto finally laughed, walking away.

Knowing that the nuisance was gone, Sasuke went back to looking ("he can't tell me what to do," he mumbled to himself)…..only to actually _see_ something down there.

It looked like something pink was floating up from the depths, and though he expected it to be some coral or something, he was proven wrong only seconds later.

A woman's face surfaced, followed by the rest of her body, eyes closed as if she was asleep.

"THERE'S SOMEONE OVERBOARD!" Sasuke screamed loudly, drawing every single man's attention. "SOMEONE HELP!"

It only took a few seconds for Naruto to run over, aided by another crewmember (Kiba) to help the woman up. Only a few minutes went by, but it felt like an eternity, with Sasuke feeling more worried than he ever had before.

It might've had to do with the fact that his entire family had died in a shipwreck, but he had a very particular fear of watching other people drown. So when the woman was finally brought up on deck, he breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring Naruto and Kiba in favor of checking that she was breathing.

She was quite alive (to everyone surprise), and also…quite naked.

"I'm taking her to my room to get her some clothes," Sasuke said (well, commanded) to the others, all seven of the men on the deck watching the scene with unveiled interest in their eyes.

No one argued.

* * *

Sasuke certainly didn't have any sort of dress to give the mystery girl, but he dried her off with a rag and pulled his largest shirt over her cold skin. Throughout it all, her chest kept rising and falling, yet she remained unconscious.

"I'm Sasuke," he said simply, waiting for a response.

None came.

"Sasuke Uchiha. This ship is _The Konoha_."

Her noticed her hair was a very specific shade of pale pink, not unlike the color of a rose.

"Naruto and Kiba were the ones that helped you up."

He wanted to know what color her eyes were, what her voice sounded like.

"Who are you?"

She had unintentionally consumed his entire attention.

A knock was heard at his door.

"Hey Sasuke!" Naruto's voice sounded. "We're trying to keep it a secret, but Kakashi won't be happy when he finds out!"

"Okay!" he yelled back, narrowing his eyes in frustration. But when he turned back to face the woman, she was gone from sight.

His blood ran cold.

Suddenly an arm was around his neck, freezing cold and trembling.

"Who are you?!" a melodic voice demanded, and he could feel her soft body pressed against his back. Without hesitation, he maneuvered so that he flipped her back onto the bed, with him standing over her.

And just one look at her was all it took to make his heart stop completely.

She had the purest green eyes he had ever seen, and they almost _glowed_ in the dim light. Her rosy lips were set into a firm frown, though they were slightly trembling.

"Don't move," he said firmly, and her eyes started to well up with tears.

"Ah…are you going to hurt me?" she whimpered out, and he instantly could feel the guilt washing over him.

"N-No," he stammered out. "But who are you?"

"Sakura," she said quietly, before her face blossomed into a bright smile that made his cheeks flush slightly. "Were you the one that saved me?"

"…yes," he replied hesitantly. After all, _technically _Naruto and Kiba had saved her, but when a pretty girl dressed only in one of your shirts asks you if you're her hero, you are supposed to say yes.

"That means you deserve a reward," she giggled lightly, and her gaze immediately changed from innocent victim to sultry seductress.

"That…that's not necessary," he protested, watching her sit up on the bed and face him with an impish grin.

She frowned.

"Am I not pretty enough?" she asked politely, making him choke on his spit.

"W-what?" he gasped out, not used to being around women. Is this how they normally acted?

"Well then don't protest, just let me thank you," she smiled, pulling him down to the bed with her. Just as he sat down next to her, she covered his lips with her own, making his world go a little dizzy.

She tasted sweet, but with the slightest hint of saltwater, and he assumed it was because just a few hours ago she was floating in the middle of the ocean.

As they continued, she pressed tighter against him, bringing their tongues to meet and running her fingers through his messy hair. His head was feeling even more dizzy, but he attributed the light-headedness to the fact that he was getting his first kiss taken away.

But then his skin started going cold.

And when he opened his eyes, his vision was blackening.

As he was slowly fading into unconscious, the only thing he could hear was Sakura faintly giggling.

"Thank you, Sasuke!"

* * *

**Hahaha wait…what the fuck did I just write? I PROMISE MY NEXT PROMPT WILL BE NORMAL. I JUST COULDN'T THINK OF ANTHING OTHER THAN MERMAIDS WHEN I SAW "FISH OUT OF WATER."**

**(I promise that this is the last Mermaid-ish AU I will ever write)**


	14. Day Fourteen: Our First Time

**Dear Anon that said I was a day behind: I'm writing these the day ****_of_**** each prompt, not the day before. So I write/publish Chapter 14 on July 14, etc. Hope that clears it up!**

* * *

Title: Pushing It

Summary: Sasuke and Sakura get physical and Ino wants all the details.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Prompt: Our First Time

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: what am I doing with my life

* * *

"So how was it?" Ino grinned, wrapping her hands around her iced coffee with a sly grin on her face. Her strawberry-blonde friend sat across the table from her in the near-empty café, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Better than I thought it would be," she admitted slowly, taking a sip of her latte to stall for time.

"…and?" the blonde girl pestered, leaning in slightly. "You don't just do something like that with Sasuke Uchiha and _not_ have a good story about it!"

"Ino…" Sakura sighed, putting her coffee back on the table in order to rub her temples in some hope of dissipating the headache that was sure to come.

"Did he kiss you at the beginning? During? After?"

"…maybe…" Sakura flushed, avoiding eye contact.

"Come on, Sakura," Ino gasped out. "I need some good gossip."

A piercing glare was sent her way.

"Well…maybe not _gossip_…I'll keep it a secret," Ino said reluctantly. "But you need to tell me!"

"Fine," Sakura muttered out, admitting defeat. Her blonde friend's eyes lit up.

"Okay! Oh my god! How was he with his hands? Did he sweat a lot?"

Sakura laughed a bit to herself.

"Well, he was a bit nervous at first. I guess he didn't want to hurt me or something," she smiled, before her lips turned downwards. "I'm not sure why he assumed I was 'breakable' or something. I'm a big girl no matter _what_ I put my mind to."

"So _did_ you get hurt?"

"Not when I can heal myself after!" she protested. "And the satisfaction after was what made it worth it!"

"I keep asking Shikamaru for the same thing, but he keeps making excuses," Ino pouted. "You're lucky to have such an attentive boyfriend."

"I told him that if he didn't do it with me, I'd ask Kiba or Sai instead," Sakura winked. "_That_ really made him eager."

"I will _definitely _try that tactic on Shikamaru!" Ino giggled evilly, taking another sip of her drink.

Sakura nodded silently.

"Did he make any comments on your body?" Ino started up again.

"No," Sakura frowned. "We really didn't talk at all, unless you count gasping for air."

They both laughed.

"If you start doing it often enough, you won't get so tired so easily!" Ino advised. Sakura rolled her eyes at her clueless friend.

"You do realize that Sasuke and I have nearly the best stamina in the entire village? There's a reason that we're considered the next generation of sanin," Sakura lectured lightly, gesturing towards the small diamond on her forehead. "If necessary, either of us could do it all day!"

"Yeah, you guys sure didn't have time during the war to waste your energy on it…" Ino commented.

"Of course not! We had to help other people! Not focus on ourselves!" Sakura protested.

"But now you have all the time in the world with each other," Ino grinned wolfishly, scaring anybody that happened to glance over at their animated conversation.

Sakura blushed. "Don't say it like _that_, Ino. You make it sound so dirty!"

"So who ended up on top?" Ino asked blatantly. Sakura, who was in the middle of sipping her latte, nearly choked.

"Ino! There's not supposed to be a 'winner'!" she scolded, embarrassed.

"So it was him?"

"Well…yeah," the strawberry-blonde admitted reluctantly. "I dominated for the first hour, but he clearly caught up in the last thirty minutes."

"Wow, you guys went at it for _an hour and thirty minutes_?" Ino gaped. "The first time? How are you still alive? Aren't you sore?"

"Ino..." Sakura grumbled. "I told you! I can heal myself after all that!"

There was a pause, both of them in the midst of their thoughts.

"After all this talk, I'm feeling a bit restless," Ino smirked. "Do you want to try it ourselves after we leave?"

"Okay, but no weapons!" Sakura chirped in rely, nodding eagerly.

"Yes!" Ino cheered. "We haven't sparred with just Taijutsu in the longest time!"

The two girls hugged, and they got up to leave the café with a competitive glint in their eyes.

"Though go easy on me, I convinced Sasuke to spar with me again tomorrow, and I don't want him to beat me!" Sakura quickly added, winking at Ino before they ran off to the training grounds.

* * *

**…After all the innuendo, did you ****_really _****expect it to be about sex?**

**This has been "What the hell am I writing and why couldn't I think of something better" (part 2). **


	15. Day Fifteen: Grounded

**SORRY I COULDN'T POST THIS YESTERDAY**

**I had work until 8:30pm, and then I saw my new laptop came in the mail, so I ever-so-excitedly connected it to my main computer to sync the files!**

**….and then I found out that the syncing would take 11 hours.**

**Epilogue: I have a beautifully working laptop and now I can stay up typing late at night (;**

* * *

Title: Connecting Flight (part 1)

Summary: Unfortunately, flight #7 departing to Konoha was delayed due to thunderstorms. Fortunately, Sakura had attractive company.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Grounded

Warnings: none

Comments: Sorry I couldn't post this yesterday!

* * *

Ever the perfectionist, Sakura Haruno always made sure she was early for every flight she went on, especially the ones that were work-related. So for her flight back to Konoha (after having been in Suna for a month-long business trip), she arrived a full hour before the plane would leave.

Thankfully, the airport employees were boarding the plane early, so she didn't have to wait for very long before comfortably moving her way into her first-class seat. (Being an award-winning doctor had its perks) Immediately she fell into her usual routine, stowing away her large carry-on bag and leaving herself with only a purse, a phone, and a sleepy frown. She wasn't used to being this tired recently, but she could at least blame it on the time-zone difference that she hadn't gotten accustomed to over her trip. Konoha was a few hours behind Suna, so if she was back at her apartment (and _not _about to go on a seven hour flight), she'd be asleep at the moment.

With yet another tired sigh and not a coffee cup in sight, she fell back into her seat, feeling the air conditioning blow down on her cold cheeks.

_I'll just sleep for a tiny bit, _she decided, eyelids drooping. _Whoever ends up sitting next to me will probably end up waking me up anyways._

So she fell asleep quickly, her soft strawberry-blonde hair fluttering ever-so-slightly under the blow of the fan above her.

* * *

"Hey."

A man's voice gurgled into Sakura's conscious, though she didn't have the faintest idea who it belonged to.

Her mind was still submerged in this dizzy haze when a sharp flick on her arm woke her up immediately. Pale green eyes fluttered open, and just as she was about to give a strong rant to the person next to her on how to treat a sleeping stranger, her mouth went dry.

Sitting next to her was an absolute _Adonis_, with pale skin, charcoal eyes, slightly tousled black hair, and.…a pissed off scowl that drew her right back to reality.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Were you the one who just-" she started to ask, gesturing at her now-sore arm, before he cut off her question with a rude _'hn.'_

"You were starting to talk in your sleep," he said quickly, his voice a deep monotone. "I didn't want people to think I was having a conversation with you."

After _that _comment, all hope of her maintaining a polite aura completely vanished.

"And why exactly do you make that sound like a _bad _thing?" she hissed.

"Nothing personal," he quipped. "I just don't like people very much."

If it weren't for the arrival of another person, Sakura would have probably just sat there with her mouth agape.

"Any more coffee for you sir?" a stewardess smiled (overly) brightly, putting herself on fully display for Sakura's seatmate but ignoring the young doctor completely. The woman held out a very tempting looking pot of the brown liquid, the steam coming out from the top ever so slightly.

As the comforting smell wafted over, Sakura inwardly drooled. "I'll have some, please!"

The woman glared as politely as possible. "Fine. Let me go get you a cup."

Sakura took the time to stretch out her arms and back, feeling awfully sore for what she supposed was just a light nap.

"I must have only been asleep for a few minutes if we still haven't left yet," she commented, looking out her window while trying to make small chat with Mr. Sexy Asshole next to her. He frowned.

"You've been asleep for a few hours."

"WHAT?" Sakura gasped, and rather loudly, considering everyone else in the first class cabin gave the pair a weird look. His warm hand instantly covered her mouth.

"Didn't you hear the announcement? We're grounded because of reports of lightening storms in the area."

She chose to ignore the dizzying effect his touch had on her skin, instead prying his hand away from her mouth.

"But this is Suna! It never rains here!"

"Well apparently it has today," he growled sarcastically, only for his expression to darken even more at the re-arrival of the flight attendant. (At least she was bringing Sakura's coffee like she promised)

"Here you go," the woman offered, until her eyes fell on the two's hands…which were still apparently touching each other. She paled, looked at Sakura, looked at the floor, gulped, then practically shoved the coffee onto the tray in front of the strawberry-blonde doctor. A little spilled onto Sakura's thigh, and when she hissed lightly in pain, the woman's eyes widened.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry!" she said quickly. "I'll get some napkins for your wife!"

"She's not my wife," he frowned, before Sakura gave him a pointed look. She forced out a laugh, taking her other hand and placing it on his (toned) bicep.

"Oh yes, well not _yet_ anyways!" she giggled lightly, pretending to be embarrassed. "The wedding's not until September!"

She ignored her "fiancé's" glare in favor of watching the woman leave quickly.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked quickly, watching his seatmate slowly break away from their embrace to grab onto her coffee and blow on it slowly.

"What? Did you _want _her to keep coming over and bugging us?" she replied, rolling her eyes. "And since we're going to be engaged for at least another 8 hours, we might as well get to know each other. My name is Sakura. Sakura Haruno."

He nodded warily.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

There was a pause.

"I actually live in Konoha," Sakura mused, taking a few sips from her cup. "Where are you coming from?"

"I'm going to be moving to Konoha," he muttered, almost lowly enough where she couldn't hear him.

"It's a nice city," she added. "Big. _Really _big. I work at the hospital, so I see a lot of the people coming in and out."

"Are you a nurse?"

Her eyes narrowed a bit.

"_Doctor._"

He winced, seeing how his assumption could have offended her. Though to be honest, he was impressed. When he had first seen her, he took one look at her designer clothing and thought she was some fashion model or something. (He's had his fair share of interactions with that type of women to know that he didn't want anything to do with them)

"What kind?"

"Surgeon," she admitted, a proud smile finding its way on her face. "I just attended a month-long seminar on eye anatomy here in Suna. I basically spent all my waking hours making sure that Suna Hospital's doctors were up-to-date on the same technology that Konoha Hospital has been blessed with."

"I'm a lawyer," he said slowly, watching her lick a stray droplet of coffee from her lower lip. She laughed a bit at herself.

"To be honest, I thought you were a-"

The same flight attendant came into view again, making them both scowl and drop their previous conversation. This time, she wasn't _directly _talking to them, but she was going around, asking every passenger pointless questions and slowly making her way over.

Sasuke, noticing that Sakura's coffee was gone completely, had a sudden realization.

"Sakura," he whispered, making her skin tingle. "Do you want to make her go away for good?"

She nodded, giving him a confused look but not protesting.

"Then go along with this," he continued, lifting her from her seat rather brusquely and placing her in his lap so that she was full-on straddling him. Before she could say anything or even _blush—_he kissed her.

He had intended it to just be a quick peck to make the flight attendant take the hint and leave them alone, but soon he found that he couldn't think of any good reason to stop.

Sakura's head felt fuzzy and light, and every pore of her body felt like it was on fire. Sasuke's lips were cold, rough, and everything she expected them to be, but not at all at the same time. Their breaths both tasted like coffee, and Sakura had to admit that of all the passionate make-outs she had ever experienced in her life, none were as electrifying as the one she shared with Sasuke Uchiha, who had been a complete stranger only an hour before.

His hands were just about to slide down to her rear when the pilot's voice boomed over the intercom.

_Thank you for your cooperation. The storm has passed completely, and in a few minutes we will be taking off for Konoha. Please fasten your seatbelts._

The two broke apart, sliding into their seats with the same dazed expression.

Only one thought filled their minds: _This is going to be one hell of a flight._

**TO BE CONTINUED NOW IN THE NEXT CHAPTER**

**MY LAPTOP IS KIND OF HARD TO GET USED TO, BUT I'M TRYING**


	16. Day Sixteen: Secrets

**READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER BECAUSE OTHERWISE THIS WON'T MAKE ANY SENSE**

* * *

Title: Connecting Flight (part 2)

Summary: It's funny how much you can find out about a person when you're stuck next to them on a seven-hour flight.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Secrets

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: um

* * *

"Favorite food?"

"Tomatoes. Favorite Shakespeare tragedy?"

"Hamlet. Favorite animal?"

"Snakes. Favorite color?"

"Red. Favorite philosopher?"

"Plato. Favorite classical composer?"

"Chopin. Favorite movie genre?

The two seatmates had been going at it for _hours _without any indication of stopping. (that is, asking each other an endless array of personal questions without any context) It was a good thing they were in the very front part of first class, otherwise people would sure to be getting irritated at just how…perfect…the two were.

Their growing relationship wasn't perfect in any way like those typical boy-meets-girl movies they play on tv, but more of a tense, playful banter that was just as every bit unstable as it was passionate.

They didn't even need to tell each other their flaws, because it was obvious from the start.

Sakura was a strong personality in a highly-respected position, and since she was a woman, she had to hide any insecurities stubbornly away so that they wouldn't be seen as a weakness.

Ambitious. Insecure. Stubborn.

Sasuke was an impossibly powerful man from an impossibly rich family, but underneath his stoicism was just a huge heap of fears, passions, and impulses that would only keep building up as his life progressed.

Powerful. Stoic. Desperate.

They both simultaneously respected each other, though neither of them desired the other's position.

Sasuke thought Sakura's life was too hectic.

Sakura thought Sasuke's life was too controlled.

.

Sasuke thought that Sakura was too breakable.

Sakura knew that she was already broken,

.

Sakura thought that Sasuke was too proud.

Sasuke knew that he shouldn't be.

.

And so while they already understood each other subconsciously, all they had left was what was on the surface.

.

"Favorite spot to be touched?" Sasuke asked, making Sakura's cheeks flush.

"Lower back. Yours?" she challenged back, not able to ignore the not-so-subtle shift in the atmosphere.

She instantly regretted her question the second he pointed to his lower abdominals. Her mouth ran a little dry as she pictured herself rubbing her hands over his shirtless torso.

….

…..oh, had he just asked her a question?

"Sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?" she asked quickly, avoiding eye contact when he was looking at her with that smoldering expression.

"Favorite dirty fantasy?"

"…..teacher and student," she said quietly, before reluctantly looking up at him. "Yours?"

(…which was a grave mistake, considering that now the only thing in her sight was a pair of sexy dark eyes giving her naughty thoughts)

"Doctor and patient" he said lowly, so that she could barely hear. "But hopefully it wont be a fantasy for very long.."

* * *

Ino grinned at Sakura, listening to the story with a perverted look in her eyes. The two sat in Sakura's office behind closed doors, Sakura insisting that she didn't want anyone else working at the hospital to find out about her torrid interaction on the plane.

"So," She drawled out slowly. "I'm glad the lovey-dovey stuff ended quickly and the sexual-tension got hot and heavy real fast

Sakura tensed, knowing what would come next.

"What _I_ want to know is whether or not you joined the mile-high club afterwards!"

The strawberry-blonde flushed, looking away.

"Well, maybe not a _full_ mile...,"

"Oh wait! Shit! I forgot to tell you! You have an appointment!" Ino quickly swore, grabbing through her clipboard frantically to find a file. She saw the time and frowned.

"Looks like you'll have to head over now. You can tell me the rest of your story later."

"I will!" Sakura reluctantly promised, sighing to herself as her blonde secretary left the room. Knowing she'd have to muster up the energy for yet another clinic visit, she picked up the file to read the patient's name…..

….only for it to fall out of her hands.

_Sasuke Uchiha_

_Age 24_

_Did not say any details of health complaints, but requested Miss Haruno on "very urgent matters."_

_Appointment: Room 7_

* * *

**WHAT AM I WRITING. IDK IDK IDK. I'M GOING TO BED NOW.**

**PS: hugs and kisses to every single person who has reviewed this! Don't get creeped out if I reply to your reviews, because sometimes I just wanna answer questions/talk because I am lonely/make a comment. (;**


	17. Day Seventeen: Inventions

**OMG I BROKE 50 REVIEWS**

**HOLD ON WHILE I INWARDLY CRY WITH HAPPINESS**

* * *

Title: Kunoichi's Secret

Summary: Sasuke discovers that he was two weaknesses: Sakura….and Sakura in a push-up bra.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Inventions

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: uh

* * *

Perhaps it had to do with being Tsunade's apprentice, or perhaps Sakura had just spent far too much time with Ino in her life, but the pink-haired girl had lived most of her life in fear that people wouldn't take her skills seriously because of her appearance. She couldn't count the number of times her mentor had complained of people never looking her in the eye, and she liked to forget how often Ino liked to put on the tiniest outfits possible in order to get others' attention.

Which is why she was so surprised that she finally agreed to go on a "shopping trip" with her platinum-blonde best friend.

"Sakura! You neeeeed to try out this new store!" she pleaded, pulling her arm with a playful pout on her face. "It will change your life!"

"My life will not be changed by a designer underwear store," Sakura sighed tiredly, rolling her eyes but still following along. "I don't even _wear_ underwear!"

Ino shot her a glare as they arrived at _Kunoichi's Secret, _heading towards the back of the store. (She apparently had the place memorized)

"I know. We're here to fix that today."

"But Ino! Binding your breasts is so much more efficient! They're out of the way, and nothing bounces anywhere!"

"Sakura! Shh!" she hissed, covering the girl's mouth with her perfectly manicured finger. "Don't say that in here!"

"I'm telling the truth…." Sakura grumbled quietly, only to have a black push-up bra shoved into her arms. "Ino? What is this?"

"A push-up bra! aka THE BEST INVENTION EVER!"

"…is this what you wear underneath your combot gear?" she asked incredulously. Ino scoffed lightly.

"Come _on, _Sakura. Get with the times. Everyone wears one these days! Even TenTen!"

Sakura frowned. "Tsunade doesn't wear one. And she's the only woman I need to look towards for inspiration."

"Tsunade drinks herself to sleep every single night and hasn't gotten laid in thirty years."

"So?"

"Sasuke might finally make his move once he sees you accepting your inner sex kitten!"

With a reluctantly sigh, Sakura finally gave in. "Fine. But this has nothing to do with Sasuke."

Ino choked back a giggle. "_Suuure. _Now try it on."

"You're paying," the pink-haired doctor smiled, her only solace.

* * *

The men of the rookie nine didn't meet with each other very often. But when they did, Sasuke always regretted it.

"So, teme. Have you told Sakura yet?" Naruto pestered (for the millionth time).

"Told her what?" Choji asked, giving the blonde a strange look.

"That he wants to _marry _her," Naruto giggled, enjoying the onyx-haired man's cheeks lighting up. "And _get it ooooon_."

"Naruto! Shut up!" he hissed out, glaring at all the patrons in Ichiraku that had overheard.

"What? Are you ashamed?" Kiba teased, a smirk on his tan cheeks. "If you don't want to man up, I can take her off your hands for you~"

"This is troublesome…" Shikamaru huffed out. "She's walking by right now. Do you want her to hear you?"

They all froze, looking towards the outside.

"HOLY SHIT!" Kiba and Naruto simultaneously gasped, ignoring Shino and Shikamaru's warning looks.

Sasuke just sat there, slowly turning purple.

Oh Sakura was walking by alright….dressed in the first low-cut shirt he had ever seen her in.

(and hopefully not the last)

His throat went dry, and suddenly the heat of the restaurant felt all the more stifling.

She still wore her black training spandex, but her baggy red top was nowhere to be found, replaced instead by tight black tank-top that showed the smooth swell of her breasts and just the slightest hint of her toned midriff.

Even though he knew that Ino had to have had something to do with it, he couldn't stop himself from falling into the trap, instead being more focused on getting her the hell away from any other man's hungry eyes.

He left Ichiraku without saying a word.

* * *

"I think Ino had something to do with this," Shikamaru commented slightly, the rest of the boys nodding along.

"Why does Sasuke get all the luck?" Kiba whined.

* * *

"Sakura," Sasuke hissed, grabbing her arm suddenly without warning and practically scaring her out of her skin. Sure, she felt his chakra so she knew he was _physically _there, but he was never one to iniitate touch without a damn good reason.

"What is it?" she asked quickly, wondering if there was something that she was being called for.

"What are you _wearing_?"

If it had been any other person in the world, she might have answered, but when it's Sasuke Uchiha that is asking you about your fashion choice…she couldn't help but break down into a fit of giggles.

"I'm serious," he continued, holding her tighter. "Why aren't you in your normal clothing?"

"Why not?" she teased back, a cynical bite in her words.

What she didn't expect was Sasuke to move them to the other side of the village, completely away from others.

"Sasuke, what-" she protested, her anger starting to replace confusion. "Are you really getting that upset over my _clothing_? I'm sorry if I can't always meet your expectations!"

He let out a quick sigh of frustration, upset that she clearly didn't understand him.

"Why are you wearing that shirt?"

"Because. I. Want. To," she bit out.

In fact, wearing the bra actually made her quite uncomfortable, but the reaction she was getting from Sasuke was worth it all. It wasn't very often she had seen him so…affected. Was Ino right? Did push-up bras really make men crazy?

"Put on something different," he ordered.

"You want me to take it off?" she asked slowly, and he must have not seen the dangerous glint in her eye, because he nodded.

Only for her to tear off her shirt right then and there, never breaking eye contact.

…..

…

…..

His eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped open slightly.

"Better?" she grinned sarcastically, expecting him to leave her be.

(Oh, but he didn't. He sure didn't.)

Instead of watching him walk away, she watched him shove her against the nearest wall and press himself against her so that every bit of her exposed skin touched his own. With only the bra covering her top, she could feel every single muscle rippling underneath his shirt, moving up and down with every breath he took.

"W-what are y-"

..and he kissed her.

He kissed her to death and then kissed her back to life; their lips met each other battled in a tangled frenzy that put every other couple in Konoha to shame. Their breaths became pants then became moans, and somehow her hands found their way tangled into his messy black hair, with his hands introducing themselves to every single part of her body that had previously been off-limits.

They continued for what felt like a lifetime but had only been a few moments, the only thing breaking them apart being the psychological need for air.

"Are you only doing this because of the bra?" she asked suddenly, and he gave her a weird look.

"The _what_?"

"The bra. The thing I'm wearing right now."

"…."

"The _only _thing I'm wearing right now."

He paused, before giving a slight smirk.

"Well whatever it is, it's a wonderful invention," he drawled out, nearing his lips towards her once more.

* * *

**I'm watching the second season of American Horror Story right now and I'm not sure I like it. Whatevah. Only one month until college, so I need to watch as much television as possible until then. (:**


	18. Day Eighteen: Mirror

**I wrote this yesterday, but I forgot to upload it. Heheh..forgive me. :)**

* * *

Title: Reflections

Summary: No matter how confident she felt while looking in the mirror, she would always be the insecure little girl that proclaimed her love to a boy who only had a slim chance of ever feeling love for another human being.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Mirror

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Comments: bits of kibasaku

* * *

It was only common sense that kunoichis did not have much use for mirrors.

They weren't supposed to use makeup or take time on their hair, and it was a shinobi rule that a quality ninja was not supposed to waste time on vanity.

Thus, even though Sakura owned a mirror, it was really only used for making sure that she hadn't missed any open wounds, or that her training outfits covered herself properly. Otherwise, she never even looked at.

However, when she started going on dates, she quickly changed her mindset.

Working in the hospital so often, she met countless men on a daily basis, sitting in their beds with nothing other to think about than the pretty medic tending to their wounds with a caring smile on her face. She received many offers of dinner, lunch, coffee, movies, and all sorts of things that shinobi sometimes forgot about in their struggle to complete as many missions as possible.

And even though she had the highest mission count of all her fellow peers, she made sure to get out a few times a week when she wasn't off in a foreign country, escorting important officials or assassinating corrupt officials.

She supposed that she liked what she saw, after all, since she was a top kunoichi, her body was petite and toned, and she would often find herself tracing the outline of her abdominals with a faint smile on her face. She knew that her frame was slightly smaller than Ino's, and she was thinner than Hinata, but she was proud of her lithe figure because it proved to everyone that glanced her way how many countless hours she spent on the training fields, doing exercise after exercise until she had to heal all the cuts and bruises she had accumulated.

Even Tsunade admired her dedication, comparing it to Naruto's stubborn attitude towards improving every single jutsu he had in his arsenal.

So when she went on her dates, even though she was never one to show much skin, she made sure to wear something tight and pretty, showing off what she had and making the boys give her compliments that she accepted with a "thank you" and a soft blush on her cheeks.

But she had a rule: avoid starting relationships with boys from the academy.

The wounds from Sasuke were still fresh on her heart, and every member of the Rookie Nine knew that, so she had to reach out to other men in the village.

She avoided civilians, because they couldn't relate to her daily problems, whether it be from feeling guilty after killing someone she knew was innocent, or complaining about the pain from overusing her muscles the day before. They just didn't understand how her life could be so paradoxical: killing people on the battlefield but saving others in the hospital.

When Naruto had come back from his two-year journey with Jiraya, Sakura didn't have the heart to tell him that she had been seeing Kiba for the past year, and even though they weren't officially _dating, _he loved her and she wished that she loved him back. However, every time they kissed, Sasuke flashed through her mind, and every time they did…more than that, she couldn't help but wonder how Sasuke would react once he saw that someone else had claimed her body first.

(Sometimes, she looked at herself in the mirror without anything on, staring at her reflection and wondering if her looks were what mattered most to Kiba)

She vaguely remembered the times where Sasuke would initiate body contact, and how cold his skin felt when he grabbed her hand, or let her hug him with tears streaming down her cheeks.

She wondered what Sasuke saw when he looked at her body. Did _he _ever find her attractive? He never said anything, good _or _bad, but then again he didn't seem like the type to focus on appearance anyways.

When the war started, she told Kiba that they wouldn't be seeing each other for a while.

(No time for dates when you're bleeding on the battlefield)

They kissed for one last time, and she told him that she would forge a confession to Naruto, that she would try to kill Sasuke, that everything would soon be over and everyone would be happy.

He didn't believe her, but at least he kept that to himself. She didn't have time to deal with any insecurities when she was already feeling so unsure.

But when she saw Sasuke, the same confidence that showed up whenever she looked in a mirror was nowhere to be found. Instead, she felt absolutely naked and vulnerable, as if just one look from him could shatter her.

His eyes were that color of red that she knew meant he was lost.

Whenever he had that maniacal grin on his face, she knew he was gone. She knew that he was unreachable, that he would attack those he cared about and only focus on himself.

However, even though she knew that, when she felt the electricity at her back, felt the heat of his stare, and felt the horror of his actions, she could help herself.

She sobbed.

She sobbed her pretty little eyes out, with only a dying red-haired girl witnessing her moment of weakness.

And in that moment, she also came to a realization.

No matter what she would do, no matter how many times she kissed another boy, no matter how many times she indulged in pleasures of the flesh and no matter how many times she traced her bare skin while looking in the mirror, she would always be the insecure little girl that proclaimed her love to a boy who only had a slim chance of ever feeling love for another human being.

* * *

**Wow…I don't know where that angst came from. **

**I'm sorry this turned into a onesided kibasaku, potentially onesided sasusaku, but I'm rather proud of it anyways.**


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Between You and Me

**As soon as I saw this prompt, this idea popped into my head. (something is wrong with me)**

* * *

Title: Seeing Double

Summary: How does a kunoichi practice her kissing skills? Why, by practicing on a shadow-clone of herself, of course!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Between You and Me

Rating: T

Warnings:

Comments: hahaha omg

* * *

There are not many ways you can catch Sasuke Uchiha off-guard.

Between his job as an anbu squad captain and his stint as a missing-nin, he had seen most of what the world had to offer: good _and _bad. However, once he started dating Sakura, he soon realized that there were many things he didn't know, particularly about women.

So when Sasuke walked in on Sakura kissing a clone of herself, his mind followed a rather logical state of confusion.

Why was she doing that?

Did she think she was a bad kisser?

Did all girls do this?

Did all _shinobi _do this?

Why does he suddenly feel really…uncomfortable?

The second she saw him walk through the door, the clone disappeared at once, the only indication of there ever being such an awkward situation being the horrified expression on her face.

"Sasuke…this isn't what it looks like," she whispered out, watching him close the door of their shared apartment while never taking his (now crimson) eyes off of her.

"What are you doing," he said abruptly, not even phrasing it as a question. It was a _demand._

"Uh…" she stuttered out, scrambling for an explanation that would make sense while also not making her look creepy, perverted, or sad.

"Well?"

"I wanted to see what it felt like to kiss me," she murmured out, thinking it a wonderful time to stare at the floor and ignore her boyfriend's steely gaze.

"Why would you need to know?" he responded slowly, still standing in the same spot with her sitting on the couch by herself.

An uncomfortable grimace crossed her cheeks.

"Because…I wanted to know if I was any good?" she admitted, faking a light laugh that didn't fool either of them.

"Is there some reason you have to improve your kissing?" he asked further, expression darkening. See, while Sakura was busy being embarrassed that her boyfriend caught her in such a private moment, Sasuke was thinking of every possible reason she would need to be at her top sexual prowess…and most of them included her going on seduction missions or carrying out affairs behind his back.

Needless to say, the atmosphere of the room was slowly getting colder.

"Nothing specific.." she started, before a glare from Sasuke demanded a better answer. "I just was hoping to impress you."

"You are already proficient at kissing."

"See?!" she half-yelled, pointing at him accusingly. "That's the kind of attitude that has me second-guessing myself!"

"Kissing you is quite…satisfactory," he tried again, his glare now having been dissolved into just a slight frown.

"No!" Sakura screamed, collapsing her entire body onto the couch with a tired sigh. "When you say it like that, it makes me think that I'm awful at it! I mean, after two whole years of dating, we've never _once _made out!"

"Made...out?" he questioned, reminding her of a robot and generally making her feel awful.

"Don't play dumb, Sasuke," she huffed out. "You know, when kisses last longer than a minute? If you want to get married, you're going to have to know how to do more than just a peck on the lips."

"I still want to get married," he said softly, making her eyes narrow in determination.

"Get over here," she commanded, smoothing out her clothes and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as he slowly walked over. "And sit next to me."

He looked at her, a paradoxical mix of annoyance and curiosity reflected in his expression.

"And put your arms around me."

When she ordered him to do it, he felt rather awkward about approaching her body, as if he was learning a new jutsu that was complex and needed his full attention.

"One arm on my waist, the other on the back of my head."

He did as she asked silently, all the while giving her a look that screamed, "_I'm only doing this because otherwise you will hit me."_

She ignored his stare.

"And now you're going to kiss me like usual, but after thirty seconds or so, you're going to open your mouth and sorta suck at my face."

He choked a little in surprise. "That feels _good _for you?"

"Yes. And then you're going to eventually add your tongue in my mouth, and we're going to kind of have a little tongue battle, okay?"

He nodded reluctantly.

"And if you want.." she started, before her cheeks flushed a dark shade of red. "You can grab my boobs or ass or whatever."

In order to hide his shocked/pleased/eager expression, Sasuke dove right in, doing exactly as she said.

And in fact, just as Sakura had explained, it felt _wonderful, _and he could see why she found kissing herself so enjoyable. He could feel every inch of her toned body pressed against his, and he felt like their bodies would melt together from the potent combination of passion and heat.

As they broke away, he couldn't help but let one of his rare smiles brush past his cheeks, imagining her happy expression when she told him how wonderful he was and…

"Oh. Well, we're going to have to work on that," she said brusquely, wiping her mouth with the bottom of her shirt.

His face sunk.

"What?"

She suddenly realized how rude she must've sounded, and worked quickly to remedy the situation.

"I mean, I don't mind kissing you. At all! We just need to practice to get it perfectly right and-"

"Perfect?" he said quietly, staring at her trembling lips with thinly veiled interest. "You want perfect?"

She hesitantly nodded, not sure what she was getting herself into.

"Well then we _will _work on this, no matter how many hours it takes."

(Needless to say, they eventually got it right)

(…after a few days)

* * *

**IT'S 1:49AM AND I ATE TOO MUCH CHINESE FOOD LAST NIGHT/TODAY.**


	20. Day Twenty: Paradise

**Only 2.5 weeks until college. omg.**

* * *

Title: Every Time He Closed His Eyes

Summary: Instead of his life flashing before his eyes, he dreamed of the life that he had always wanted but never deserved.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Paradise

Rating: K+

Warnings:

Comments: asdfgfd

* * *

Even though he was constantly surrounded by death, Sasuke Uchiha had never really contemplated his own.

He saw dying as something _others _did, those beneath him or those that didn't deserve to live. He saw himself as vaguely immortal, never having to worry about his world ending.

That is, until Obito drove a ten-tails-enhanced fist into his torso.

Immediately, he fell onto the ground, not even having time to say any final words. No cry of pain, no scream of anguish. No choked out goodbye nor secrets admitted in his final seconds.

In the distance, he could hear the muffled cries of Naruto and Sakura, and he silently wondered if their lives would be better without him. (or if they would even grieve his death)

But it only took a few seconds before his vision clouded, and the world disappeared into darkness.

* * *

"Sasuke! Wake up!" a sweet voice called out, and he could feel the warmth of a hand upon his cheek. The air felt comforting, and his surroundings smelled flowery and bright.

The owner of the voice apparently grew tired of waiting, for he soon felt a very soft, very light body on top of his own, straddling his reclining form. Instantly, his eyes shot open, only to be met with a clear viridian green.

_Sakura._

However, instead of the bulky shinobi vest he had seen her in last, she was clothed only in a silky red nightgown, putting her lithe frame on full display. She didn't seem insecure in the slightest, even pushing her breasts against his chest with a playful pout.

Where _was_ he?

"You promised that you'd wake up early today," she complained dramatically, tracing a finger down his face while blatantly staring at his lips. "You know how quickly Naruto would kill you if you overslept _today, _of all days."

He frowned. "What-"

But she didn't let him finish, because she stopped him with a short little kiss on the lips before getting off of him with a light giggle.

"Don't look so grumpy, Sasuke," she scolded. "I made coffee. It's waiting for you on the counter."

Not sure what to say, he merely nodded, head still spinning from losing his first kiss so abruptly.

"I'll be getting ready at Ino's" she grinned. "That means you have three hours until you have to be there. Naruto will pick you up."

_Where were they going?_

"Hn."

And as she walked out of the room, his world shifted again, this time with him opening his eyes to reveal the interior of Konoha's only "church," and as he looked down, he was dressed in white robes with the Uchiha symbol bordering the edges of his sleeves.

_What.._

He heard music swell from his left, and he quickly jerked his head over to see, only to face a large crowd of people, half of whom he had never seen before in his life. But in the front row sat Naruto, giving him a big thumbs-up and throwing him a wink.

As he looked, a figure came walking slowly down the asile in the middle of the crowd, dressed in pristine white with pale pink hair pinned up in a style that was elaborate yet simple at the same time.

_Sakura._

She came to meet him, facing directly across with a coy smile dancing across her lips.

"Thanks for showing up," she said simply, and he couldn't help but feel his heart pang in a way that he thought he had left behind long ago when he left her unconscious on a bench with nothing but the cool night air caressing her.

To his right, he could hear some monotone speech about love and duty, but he couldn't find the motivation to look anywhere besides his old teammate.

Her skin glowed and looked as smooth as ivory, her light hair and warm green eyes only adding to her angelic appearance. It was rather ironic, he decided, that she could cause so much destruction on the battlefield yet embody so much beauty at the same time.

Before he died, (he had concluded that this _must _be the afterlife, because in the real world, he would have never had the chance to see Sakura look at him with such trusting eyes) he remembered how she had fought alongside him and Naruto, matching them head-on with summoning and healing the entire shinobi alliance. The only proof of that now was the tiny diamond mark on her forehead that he knew her master had as well.

(But he knew that she must've taught herself that on her own, for Tsunade's was slightly different)

Suddenly, the person on his left said something _very _loudly that he could not ignore.

"Will you take Sakura Haruno to be your wedded wife, to live together and serve your country with happiness in the holy estate of matrimony; will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, keeping yourself only unto her, so long as you both shall live?"

The "I do" that slipped his lips subconsciously surprised him, but no one else in the room seemed shocked. No one interjected about how a missingnin that murdered dozens of Konoha ninja was getting married instead of getting a death sentence. No one seemed to mind that Konoha's angel was getting wed to Konoha's damned.

"And Sakura Haruno, do you take Sasuke Uchiha to be your wedded husband, to live together and nurture your children in the safety of a home; will you love, honor, support, and keep him, in sickness and in health, and keeping yourself only unto him, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she said simply, failing to fight her excited smile. Her eyes danced with excitement, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Then I now pronounce you Sakura and Sasuke Uchiha. You may now kiss the bride."

And as if she could see his hesitance, Sakura leaned over to him and covered his mouth with her own, tasting like strawberries and vanilla and all things sweet and delicious while running her fingers through his hair.

The crowd was cheering, and the last thing he heard was Naruto saying "it's about time!" in the background.

When he opened his eyes once more, he was sitting across a table from Sakura, a plate in front of him filled with half-eaten vegetables and fish.

She was smiling that innocent, trusting smile again, and it made him realize how disgustingly undeserving he was of her devotion. She deserved so much better: someone who could return her affection as vividly as she gave it, someone who could be a hopeless romantic and shower her with praise and happiness and kisses.

Instead, she was stuck with a stoic man that barely talked to anyone besides his old teammates.

He gulped, waiting for her to tell him the news she was so obviously proud about.

"So I talked to Naruto today at our counsel meeting," she trailed out, biting her lip for a second to restrain herself from grinning even more. "And they're looking at candidates for the _next _Hokage already, so that they will be fully trained by the time Naruto wants to retire."

He nodded, not fully understanding what was happening. She looked five or so years older than he last saw her, but she was still gorgeous, and the seal on her forehead would ensure that her beauty would stay perfectly in place until the day she died.

"Itachi was picked. Even though he's only four now, Shikamaru, Ino, Hinata, and Kiba can't stop talking about how talented he is, and how proud they are that he is a genin already," she practically sung, waiting for his reaction.

He froze, realizing what she was talking about.

"So our son, he-"

"Of course we'll have to make sure he's ready for the chunin exams in a few months, but that shouldn't be a problem considering both his parents are active-duty anbu captains," she declared proudly. "Your dreams are finally coming true: a Uchiha becoming Hokage. If only the old Itachi could be here to see this happening…"

_She knows the truth about my brother?_

"Remember when _you _wanted to be Hokage?" she laughed, watching him frown. "That was cute. Naruto will never let you forget that."

When he didn't respond, she got up out of her chair, and he could see that she was dressed in full anbu gear, complete with the mask that she held in her hand.

"Well, I need to get going now. I'll be back in a few days," she smiled, smoothing out her outfit. He stood up out of pure instinct, watching her walk towards the door.

He noticed that they were in the old Uchiha mansion, though it looked _alive_, instead of the dusty mess he had last left it in.

"Hopefully Gaara will let me leave early," she sighed, pausing to face Sasuke. "I can't imagine Suna being in _that _much need of my help."

Without knowing what to do, he just sat there, listening to her every word with a curious look in his eyes.

"Goodbye," she said quietly. "I love you."

Pause.

"…I love you too."

Even though his words were simple, he realized it was the first time he had said that phrase since he was six.

And with that, she left, leaving him with a quick kiss and an even quicker hug goodbye.

She left him feeling tingly all over, head buzzing and lips numb.

_I…love her?_

_I don't think I ever really thought about it until now._

Her last words reverberated in his mind, echoing until he felt dizzy and fell to the floor on his knees. His world was spinning once more, and he wasn't sure if it meant that it would all be over.

He secretly hoped it wasn't.

* * *

"Sasuke!" a voice sobbed, slightly choked. "Sasuke! Wake up!"

A warm feeling enveloped his body, and he could hear the faint hum of medical chakra being used.

"Sasuke, I know you can hear me! Please! Open your eyes!"

More muffled sobs, followed by a gasp of pain that made his heart clench in guilt.

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes, unused to the bright light that instantly flooded into his weary irises.

The first thing he saw was pink, then green, then ivory.

"Sasuke!" the voice cried out, now sounding hopeful, sweet, and above all…loving.

Sakura was leaning over him, sweat beading on her forehead and blood splattered all over her, though he immediately realized that none of it was hers.

The once-gaping hole in his chest was gone, meaning that somehow she had literally fixed his insides, healing him from the inside out.

He waited for the words, but they never came.

_"Goodbye…I love you!"_

She just sat in silence, looking him over with the innocent, trusting look from before. Why did she still smile at him like that? Didn't she know that he didn't deserve it? That nothing from before was real, even though she didn't even know it was happening inside his mind as he lay there, close to death?

A happy sigh escaped her rosy lips.

"Hello, Sasuke," she smiled sweetly. "Welcome back from the dead."

How he longed for her to say the words—to let them flow as freely as they had that one night two years ago.

But as he kept staring at her, basking in the absolute _miracle _she had just performed on him, he realized something important.

He definitely needed to go back to Konoha, because he couldn't live without hearing those words again.

* * *

**This turned out so long and angsty, but I love it so much.**

**Tomorrow I'll write something nice and AU to make up for all the drama I've been writing recently. (:**

**(Wow I think this is the longest oneshot of this month so far. I wrote this in an hour and a half though. Lol.)**


	21. Day Twenty-one: Achilles' Heel

**I've been listening to really heartbreaking musicals recently, so I feel like my writing is reflecting all that tragic angst...haha oops. **

**If you're looking for love stories (almost) as tragic as SasuSaku, go look up "The Last 5 Years" and/or "The Wild Party (off-broadway)" **

**:(**

* * *

Title: Behind the Mask

Summary: No matter many years had passed, Sasuke would always have a weakness for the woman he loved: his brother's wife.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Achilles' Heel

Rating: M

Warnings: kinda itasakusasu

Comments: my all-time favorite pairing 3

* * *

Even though Naruto had only found out his secret a months ago, he made sure to utilize the knowledge in every way possible.

Whenever he wanted anything from him, the blonde made sure to mention that "you wouldn't want anyone to find out about how you are in love with your brother's wife, eh?"

….Naruto could definitely be an asshole at times.

But it _was_ rather embarrassing how he found out, considering it involved a folder on Sasuke's computer completely devoted to pictures of Sakura in a bikini. (Hey, _she _was the one who posted them on her bacefook profile...)

Unfortunately, he had to go through the trouble of cropping Itachi out of every picture.

Everyone else in the world considered the two the "perfect couple," both being highly attractive young adults with prestigious jobs and long lists of accomplishments.

Itachi Uchiha. Law degree, CEO of Uchiha Industries, business genius, and the youngest member of the "Richest Men in the World" list (thanks to his father passing on all their funds).

Sakura Haruno. She received her medical degree at 22, and it had only taken her a single year before she created several different vaccines for various diseases. She was rumored to be considered for the Nobel Prize, and she practically led Konoha's hospital by herself.

They were almost superhuman, and attracted publicity wherever they went. However, Sasuke was one of the only men who had the opportunity of being close to the both of them. (Itachi had a knack of scaring other men away from his wife)

Seven years separated the two, and it sure didn't make Sasuke feel better that he and Sakura were the exact same age, only months apart. He had gone to High School with her, and even though she had graduated two years early, they had become extremely close due to a mutual friendship with Naruto. He had always been secretly attracted to her wild ambition and contagious smiles. (Why she didn't go into modeling like her friend Ino, he'd never know)

In fact, it seemed like their entire friend group from High School became superstars, with Shikamaru making it into Mensa, Ino becoming a supermodel, Naruto and Choji starting their own food chain, and Kiba being an advocator for animal rights.

The only one that seemed out of place was Sasuke Uchiha.

Sure, he was considered a prodigy in high school and college, but in the real world, he worked under his brother, and would always be known as "Itachi's brother" no matter how hard he tried to change that. He was only 25, but it felt like his life was already over.

Which is why he loathed family "reunions," where the couple dozen of existing Uchiha met in a large banquet hall, mainly to discuss politics and finance while silently judging everyone else's clothing choices.

Sakura, with her bright strawberry-blonde hair and pale green eyes, was a welcome change from all the darkness in the room. She was by herself, sipping some fruity cocktail at the bar, when Sasuke decided he had to make a move.

(or at least test the waters)

He sauntered over as inconspicuously as possible, carrying a drink of his own, though it was considerably stronger and more masculine. Her eyes widened when she saw him sit next to her, turning slightly to face him.

"Where's Itachi?" he asked smoothly, thankful for the alcohol running through his veins, giving him confidence he didn't deserve.

She frowned, and he reveled in how breathtakingly beautiful she was.

"Talking to some executives over there or something," she mumbled out, not touching on the fact that this tended to happen quite often. "He's been very busy recently."

"By 'recently,' do you mean the past year?" Sasuke drawled out, sending a thinly veiled glare towards Itachi's back. "I hear he's been working fourteen hours a day, even on the weekends."

She took a few gulps of her drink, and when he looked over at her flushed cheeks, he could tell that she was already the slightest bit tipsy. But having grown up with Sakura, he knew that she was never a sloppy drunk, so he wasn't too worried.

However, it was an excellent opportunity to make use of her loose lips.

"Sometimes he takes a day off," she defended quietly, not even fooling herself. "A few times a month."

"That doesn't give you too much time together," he commented, trying to make his speech sound informal and noncommittal, when in reality, his heart was throbbing uncontrollably and his head was pounding. "What do you do in your free time?"

She sighed, running a hand through her soft hair. He took the moment to fully appreciate her outfit, a skintight crimson dress that reached her ankles yet showed ample cleavage. On the outside, she looked flawless, but he knew that it was only a façade to disguise the inside. All he needed to do was peek behind her mask…

"I've been taking a lot of extra hours at the hospital. I read a lot," she explained, trailing a finger slowly on the edge of her glass. "I learned how to speak French. I might try Italian next."

"You sound…incomplete," he added, though he didn't tell her how much he'd _love _to be the one to 'complete' her.

"Well he's been so distant to everyone in his life. He only cares about upholding the company name," she said sadly, scrunching her eyebrows together in light frustration. "We haven't had sex in _forever_."

Sasuke nearly choked on his spit. Apparently, Sakura was a lot more drunk than he thought.

"How's that going for you?" he asked, hoping for some juicy information on how to…uh…_please her_ later on.

"When I was younger, I thought I'd always want a gentle lover," she mused softly, a slight smile crossing her lips. "But as I got older, I realized that all I ever wanted was _passion_. The whole stoicism thing really wears down your patience after a while."

Without thinking, Sasuke spoke. "I'm passionate."

She laughed at that, her cynicism dissolving.

"Oh, Sasuke," she sighed, her voice sending shivers down his skin. "You may be better than Itachi, but all you Uchiha can be the same."

_"You may be better than Itachi"_

He ignored the ending of her sentence, letting her little minute comparison fill him with uncontainable joy that he was very unused to feeling.

Without realizing it, he had unconsciously scooted over so that their skin was brushing, filling his world with even more warmth. She hummed in contentment, her mood apparently improved after spilling a few of the secrets that had been weighing her down.

"Sometimes you're very pleasant to talk to," she smirked impishly, the teasing lilt in her voice making parts of his insides melt.

"Hn."

"I wouldn't mind talking to you more often," she decided, straightening up her outfit as she saw Itachi start to walk over. "I miss the days in High School when we spent practically every free hour with each other."

_Me too, Sakura. But maybe for different reasons. _"As long as Naruto isn't invited, I can come over whenever you like."

True, it would be strange to try to casually seduce Sakura in her and Itachi's own home, but she would most likely be more receptive in private, instead of worrying herself with how others saw them.

"I'll take you up on that," she smiled, though she had turned to fully face Itachi, who was almost at their location. "I don't want to learn Italian, anyways."

"I'll think of some ways to distract you," he smirked, appearing to be lighthearted, when in reality he had already started to fantasize about all the ways he could…_distract _her.

By then, Itachi had arrived, holding out his arm for Sakura to latch onto, her breasts pushing against him in a way that made Sasuke frown. But Itachi seemed oblivious to Sasuke's interest, which would definitely be in his favor. If he was about to attempt what he was going to, he was going to need to be covert as possible. After all, if it had taken all of his courage just to _talk _to Sakura at a party, he was going to need to find a whole hell of a lot more if he was planning on making her fall in love with someone more deserving.

However, it never crossed his mind that Sakura might have also been using all her courage to start that conversation.

* * *

**I changed my tumblr dashboard layout so that the "home" button is now the Konoha symbol. Wow I'm so lame.**

**brb going to finish the June chapter for School Days~**


	22. Day Twenty-Two: Numb

**THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF LAST CHAPTER**

**EXCEPT KIND OF A TIMESKIP AFTER IT**

**JUST PLAY ALONG**

* * *

Title: Behind the Mask (Part 2)

Summary: Those "perfect people" you envy are just the ones that have learned to hide their pain better than the rest.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Numb

Rating: M

Warnings: alcoholism references

Comments:

* * *

It had been three months, and even though Sakura's invitation at the party had sounded vaguely noncommittal in the moment, Sasuke was determined to take up her offer, mainly keeping her company at random hours of the night when she felt particularly alone.

(and no, they hadn't had sex)

The first few times she had been tipsy/buzzed/drunk/whatever, he just pushed it aside as her just celebrating a day's hard work. After all, she could be quite the workaholic, and the stress from being under such critical scrutiny all the time was enough to drive a lesser person mad. Her choice of profession was definitely masochistic, and he wondered if she knew ahead of time how awful it could be.

Nevertheless, for some reason, sweet and _gentle _Sakura was very prone to putting other's minute needs over her own priorities. She ignored her own problems by attending to others.

In Sasuke's mind, Sakura was still her innocent high-school self, the shy girl who would always ask him how he was doing and blush furiously to whatever he said. Now, in comparison, _this _Sakura seemed a little broken by the world: barely sleeping, covering dark-circles with makeup, and spending every night drinking herself into a stupor.

(rather ironic how quickly his plan went from "seduce her, then make her love me" to "make her love me, then seduce her")

To be perfectly honest, Sasuke wasn't entirely sure _how _he felt about Sakura…all he knew was that he only wanted her to himself, without his older brother standing in the way.

However…

….he never really put much thought into what would happen if (when) Itachi found out. What if he blamed Sakura? What if he made it a public scandal? How would the rest of their family take it?

(At that moment, he realized that even if he and Sakura had the strongest, cheesiest love for each other, they'd never _in a million years _be able to tell anyone else)

On the other hand, Sasuke never craved public recognition like Itachi did. He was sure that he would be able to keep a secret, granted that Sakura would keep one too.

"Sasuuuuke, come back to the living room. Stop staring out the window," her voice called out, slowly trailing away at the end of her every line. She had only been _this bad _a few times before, so he knew that she was feeling particularly sorrowful that night. Itachi was out of town on yet another business trip, and even though most people would see that as code for "cheating on your wife," he knew it was the opposite. Itachi spent every waking hour on furthering the Uchiha name, making sure to uphold the ridiculous standards their father had put down.

He glanced over at her, reclining on the couch haphazardly, though her thoughtful expression told him that tonight she would be ranting about something.

(she once told him how nice it was to tell him her secrets, because since he didn't talk much anyways, he could never tell them to anyone else)

"I've been really wondering," she started, glancing down into the glass of whiskey she cradled in her hand. "How my life would've been different if I didn't marry Itachi."

He gave her his usual look of semi-interest, before sitting as far away as possible from her, though on the same couch.

"You know, if it hadn't been for you, I never would've met him," she mused, looking him over with a completely neutral expression. In her waking hours, Sakura was the most expressive person he knew, so it was very frustrating to watch her face get stony and eyes grow cold.

(Well, more like _infuriating_. But it was _her_ choice, not his.)

The only indication of her usual passion was kept locked within the small glimmer in her eyes that could appear at any moment.

"It's your fault that I'm like this today," she breathed out, not looking at him at all, just keeping her eyes trained to the floor. "Maybe it would've been better if I just took Naruto's advice back in middle school."

"…and what was that?"

"To stay away from you."

He held in an exasperated sigh. "Sakura, we didn't know each other back then. We met our freshman year, remember?"

The faintest hint of a smile crossed her lips.

"Yeah, but _I _knew you," she corrected softly. "I was obsessed with you for so long…_way_ too long."

"What do you mean by 'obsessed'?" he asked carefully, one of those occasions where he paid all attention to her drunken ramblings.

"I loved you for four fucking years, Sasuke," she half-growled out, still not looking at him. "And all I got out of it was self-loathing and insecurities."

He froze, not sure of what to do.

"Then comes Itachi Uchiha, the hot older brother of my crush, caring about what I'd say and giving me _real _smiles instead of cocky smirks. For the next years, I felt like a princess. A princess that had given up and left to find her own 'happily ever after.'"

She chuckled cynically to herself, and Sasuke decided that he _definitely _did not like to see Sakura's embittered side.

"But I guess that was just wishful thinking. Nothing ever works out the way you've planned it to," she mumbled, eyes welling up slightly. "Especially when you try to mess with love."

In his mind, he thought of dozens of ways he could have responded to her, all of them with the ability to soothe her frazzled soul.

_You don't have to mess around. Just let it happen on its own._

_You're too strong to be weakened by someone so foolish._

_Just stop it already._

But their wasn't anything he could actually do about it.

Fate really screwed both of them over, and even though they hid it well on the outside, it was only a matter of time before one of them gave in.

He just sincerely hoped it wouldn't be Sakura.

He'd think of ways to kill Itachi later….for now he would just wrap his arms around Sakura and breathe in her inexplicable scent of cherry and vanilla.

* * *

**I'm going to sleep now, and when I wake up, I'll have all day to type up the most magnificent, cutsey oneshot in the world for dear Sasu-butt's birthday!**


	23. Day Twenty-Three: Detours

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY SASUKE, YOU LITTLE FUCKER**

**IF YOUR PERSONALITY HAD A FACE, I WOULD PUNCH IT ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MANGA CHAPTER**

**(I feel so masochistic every time I read a new manga update)**

* * *

Title: It's Not Like the Movies

Summary: Not every couple fits into a romance-movie stereotype.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Detours

Rating: T

Warnings:

Comments: something cute for sasu-butt on his birthday

* * *

First period at Konoha Academy had yet to start, so Sasuke Uchiha took this opportunity to confront his closest friend on a problem that had been bugging him for he past few days.

"I need a date idea," Sasuke asked bluntly, narrowing his eyes at Naruto with his arms crossed.

Naruto paled.

"Why does it look like you're going to kill me if I don't have one?" he stammered out nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Sasuke sighed in frustration.

"You and Shikamaru keep taking your girlfriends on a bunch of cheesy dates, and then Ino and Hinata gossip about them to Sakura."

"….and?"

"It makes me look bad."

"…why?"

"Because I think those kinds of dates are stupid."

Naruto's face completely changed, suddenly realizing the situation.

"Sasuke…are you _nervous_?" he grinned impishly, raising his eyebrows. "Do you think Sakura's going to leave you for someone who is more _romantic_?"

He scowled.

"She'd never leave me. It's just a matter of making sure she's not pissed."

Naruto frowned right back at him, rolling his eyes.

"It's _that _sort of attitude that gives you trouble," he scolded. "Just make something up. Watch a chick-flick or something…those have a lot of ideas in them."

"I'm not watching a romance movie," Sasuke said roughly.

"Go ask Shikamaru, then," the blonde huffed out, pointing towards the brunette boy reclining a few seats away.

Sasuke didn't have to be told twice.

* * *

"Shikamaru, tell me a few good date ideas."

The boy gave him a low groan, closing his eyes slowly.

"You already asked Naruto, didn't you? How troublesome…"

"_Do you have any?_"

"If I just list a few off, will you leave me alone?" he mumbled out, avoiding looking at the dark-haired boy straight on.

"Hn."

"Ugh…you can go walking down a beach together…"

"…we don't live near a beach."

"Try cooking a meal together, complete with dessert…"

"…I don't like sweets."

"Go to the zoo or aquarium or something…."

"…too crowded."

"Strand yourself on an island with her."

"…..are you just joking now?"

"What do you think?"

Sasuke growled lightly.

"This isn't some joke. If Sakura's unhappy, she'll whine about it to Ino, who'll get on _your _case as well."

Shikamaru nodded.

"But _I'm _not the one taking my girlfriend on shitty dates."

"…."

"Or any at all."

"…we've gone to the movies a few times."

"In the past _year_," Shikamaru added. "Just go stargazing or something like that. Go on a drive."

"Hn."

The bell rang and class started; yet Sasuke Uchiha still had no idea what to do.

* * *

The following Friday found Sakura Haruno sitting in the passenger seat of Sasuke's car, watching the scenery pass by as he drove five miles over the speed limit.

"So where are we going?" she asked softly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Somewhere," he replied quickly, keeping his eyes trained to the road. Used to his silence, Sakura turned on the radio absentmindedly, the quiet strum of indie music filling up the car somewhat.

"Is it going to be cold?" she persisted, glancing down at her outfit: a pair of black leggings and a flowy tunic top that cinched in at the waist. (She was quite proud of it. It looked casual, formal, comfortable, and put-together all at the same time)

"Hn."

"Will we be outside?"

"Hn."

She sighed dramatically, slouching in her seat.

A few minutes later, the car started making noises.

"Seriously, where are we going? I don't recognize any of this. Why are there so many trees?"

"It's just a detour," he answered. _Aren't drives supposed to be romantic and intimate? Whatever, we'll be there soon._

"I think the car might be broken."

More noises followed, making him wince.

"Oh my god! Sasuke!" she half-yelled as steam started to come up from the hood. "Stop the car! Stop the car!"

It took all of about thirty seconds for him to pull over at the side of the road, with them hopping out of the vehicle immediately.

Just as he was about to open the hood, Sakura pulled him back with all the strength she had (which was quite a lot), making him stop.

"Don't touch it," she warned, arms still wrapped around his torso from behind. "Just call a tow truck or something."

Their eyes widened as the car lights slowly flickered out.

It was suddenly very clear that it was nine at night, the sky black as it could be.

Sakura made a noise of discomfort that sounded like a mix of a cat hissing and a sneeze.

"I'll call," he assured, pulling out his phone, the only light they had at the moment, save for the dim glow of the stars above.

The company picked up.

"Where am I?…..can't you just use a GPS?...only a few _hours_?...are you sure?"

When he ended the call, his expression had darkened considerably.

"Is everything alright?" Sakura asked. "How long will it take?"

"Two hours."

She sighed. "Well, I guess we better sit down, then."

And they did….two hundred feet away from the unstable vehicle.

The road was completely lined with a thick forest, and it was all Sakura could do to restrain herself from cuddling into a ball and hiding from any animals that happened to be out hunting late at night.

"Do you think it's dangerous to be out here alone?" she mumbled out, voice weak.

Though Sasuke had originally planned on taking her to a restaurant on the other side of the town, now he had two choices: improvise, or fail.

"You have me to protect you," he responded, imagining that she would squeal and cling to him.

Instead, she hesitantly replied, "but in all those horror films, the boyfriend dies first, and the _girlfriend _is the one running through the forest being chased by death"

When he was looking at date ideas, he probably should've considered how, despite how intelligent she was, Sakura was far too prone to being spooked by scary stories. She must have been hanging out with TenTen recently, because he knew for sure that Ino and Hinata never watched anything other than romantic comedies.

"That won't happen."

"How do you know? We could be living out stereotypical roles in a movie!" she cried out, moving slightly away from him.

(and he wouldn't have any of that _that_)

"Then pick another movie genre!"

"Like…mystery?"

"Why don't you watch romance movies like every other girl?" he huffed out, frustrated at how she wasn't telling him how nice and caring he was. (Dream on, Sasuke. Dream on.)

"I don't like listening to other's love stories," she said simply, and in the dim light of the stars, he could see her clutch her knees to her chest, looking towards the forest with half-lidded eyes. "It's better to make your own."

There was an awkward silence, and she looked down in embarrassment and laughed lightly.

"I guess that sounds a little silly….I mean-"

"No, it makes sense."

She breathed out a sigh of relief, and her posture relaxed.

"So what is your favorite kind of movie, Sasuke?" she asked hesitantly, trying to continue the conversation.

"It used to be horror…" he said quickly. "But I think I prefer action now."

And with that, he pulled her to sit right next to him, arms remaining around her shoulders and warming her slightly trembling frame.

* * *

"So how did the date go on Friday?" Naruto asked, a knowing grin set firmly on his tanned cheeks. "Anything exciting happen?"

"…."

"Did you get any heh…'action'…?" he practically giggled, failing to keep his composure by covering his mouth.

"My car broke down."

More muffled laughs.

"When the tow truck finally came, they said someone had tampered with it."

Shikamaru and Naruto shared a look.

"The important thing is that you had fun, right?"

"…."

"…right?"

"I'm not telling you anything," he smirked. With that, he walked back to his desk, waiting for class to start.

Naruto glared at Shikamaru. "This is your fault."

"You're the one who messed with the car. Troublesome…"

* * *

**THIS CHAPTER'S TITLE "NOT LIKE THE MOVIES" IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST HEARTBREAKING SONGS EVER TO BELT OUT AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS. I RECOMMEND LISTENING TO IT. (it's by Katy Perry, my goddess) **


	24. Day Twenty-four: Outgrown

**I actually spent my day shopping at this huge indoor mall, so this chapter is somewhat relevant.**

**(Then I spent two hours watching/blogging about Free! Iwatobi Swim Club…)**

* * *

Title: Puberty

Summary: In attempts to be naglostic, Kakashi asks Team 7 to show up to training in their old outfits. (Unfortunately, he forgot about puberty)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Outgrown

Rating: T

Warnings: sexual tensioooon

Comments: why did I do this

* * *

Do you want to know Kakashi Hatake's biggest secret?

…he absolutely _sucks_ at teaching.

(…..no, seriously)

Even with Minato being a wonderful example from his youth, for some reason, Kakashi couldn't quite get all traditional methods right.

He read porn in public.

He was always late.

He believed in _negative _reinforcement.

He didn't even show his students what his face looks like.

.

.

.

Which is why he was quite relieved when Kurenai, (who was much better at relating to young adults than Gai) offered to give him some tips on how to inspire the newly-reunited Team Seven.

Sure, they were all _techinically _adults, but in his mind, they would always be those annoying twelve year olds that nearly failed their first bell exam.

_Okay, Kakashi. You first need to work on being very empathetic. Listen to their complaints, no matter how pointless they are. Then, before you all start training as a team again, you need to show them how far they've come. Like…show them pictures from when they were genin. Remind them how horrible their skills were, and how they have grown. You need to make them confident, yet itching for more progress._

But to be honest, Kakashi thought it would be foolish to follow Kurenai's advice step-by-step.

_"Got to plunge right into it!" _he decided, very proud of himself._ "They can handle it!"_

So he delivered a card to each of his original students, (well, he sent a few of his dogs, because the three were spread out significantly across the village) all with the same message.

**For training tomorrow, you are to wear the exact same outfit you wore as a genin. Same size, same clothing, same ****_everything_****. If you do not comply, you will be forced to put on one of Gai's jumpsuits and do embarrassing exercises in the middle of the Konoha market.**

Subtle, right? He knew his plan was flawless. The three would see each other's past fashion sense and immediately start laughing, showing them that even though they took themselves seriously six years ago, they actually just looked ridiculous.

Now Kakashi, being a very fit middle-aged man, has had the same height and weight for the past two decades.

It must have slipped his mind that the young people of Konoha's bodies have changed quite dramatically.

* * *

"Hahahaha, Sasuke! You look absolutely _ridiculous_!" Naruto choked out, laughing so hard that he nearly collapsed to the ground in a fit. Since Naruto's original outfit was so baggy, it fit almost exactly as his current one, just that the black paneling was gone. The capri-like pants had become just loose shorts on his now-tall frame.

However, Sasuke was having a much harder time with _his _outfit.

His baggy forearm "protectors" were uncomfortable, and the wrappings on his shins were pointless…and his old shorts were not nearly the length that he was comfortable with. At least his old oversized shirt meant that it fit him correctly _now. _He cringed as he recalled how he used to wear this get-up every single day. There was no practicality in it, no flow.

(Then again, the same could be said for _all _the outfits he's ever had)

"Shut up, asshole," Sasuke hissed, his clothing not helping with his already-sour mood. "This just shows how you haven't changed at all in the past six years."

Naruto rolled his eyes, clearly unaffected.

"Well maybe I didn't _need _to change," he grinned. "Or I just thought ahead!"

"Thought ahead….when you were twelve?" Sasuke frowned.

Naruto shrugged. "Whatever. It's not _you _that I care about today."

"What?"

The blonde boy began to giggle pervertedly, rubbing his hands together.

"I'm waiting for _Sakura….._" he declared proudly. Sasuke gave him a disgusted look.

"You're no better than Kakashi sometimes."

"...is Kakashi here yet?" a soft voice called out, one that made the boys' heads turn immediately. "I need to talk to him."

Sakura had finally arrived…though…

….her entire body was covered by the cloak she had on.

"It's ninety degrees outside," Sasuke commented, looking her over and wondering what could be so bad that she needed to cloak herself completely.

"Yeah," she huffed out, a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek. "So?"

"Aren't you hot?"

Naruto giggled a little at that. "Of _course _she is~!"

Sakura, even in the midst of her panic, glared at the blonde harshly.

"Don't make me tell Hinata," she growled, clearly not in the mood to take any shit from anyone.

The two boys blanched.

Thankfully, the sudden arrival of Kakashi interrupted the potential bloodbath that would've ensued.

"So are you all feeling inspired yet?" he asked giddily, his book absent in favor of watching their irritated faces. However, as he looked over at Sakura, his face fell.

"Sakura, are you being uncooperative?" he commented, voice cold. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head viciously. "Do you care about our team dynamics _at all_?"

She winced.

"Kakashi-sensei, I don't exactly feel comfortable in-"

"Take the cloak off."

"But-"

Nevertheless, as Kakashi was talking to Sakura, Naruto had sneaked up behind her, a mischievous smirk on his face as he quickly pulled the cloak off.

…and instantly an awkward silence fell upon them.

Her old genin dress fit her normally on her waist and hips (though she had gotten taller, so the front and back flaps were about as long as her usual skirt), but her shorts had now become practically booty-shorts, and her chest…..

….her breasts were squashed together quite dramatically, and since the zipper wouldn't zip over them, the only thing keeping her decent was a black sports bra.

Without her black boots, her legs were on full display, the pale skin smooth and soft.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, he found her outfit quite…stimulating.

"Put the cloak back on," he hissed out, adverting his eyes towards the ground. In this mind, he busied himself by thinking of hundreds of ways to brutally murder Kakashi, as he cursed his old self for choosing _white _shorts of all things.

"Why, is something wrong, Sasuke?" Naruto chuckled. "Sakura looks perfectly fine."

Naruto looked at of Kakashi out of the corner of his eye, and the grey-haired man suddenly realized what Naruto was doing. He responded with a smirk of his own.

"So that we've seen each other, let's pair you up for your training," he declared proudly. "I'll take Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura can work with each other."

Sasuke immediately was doused in a flurry of contradicting emotions, not sure if he was excited or horrified about being with his female teammate.

"And today, ninjutsu and genjutsu are off limits," Kakashi added. "Only body-on-body Taijutsu."

(It took quite a lot of effort for him to not giggle at Sasuke's face)

* * *

Since Sakura had naturally maintained her super-strength ever without the aid of chakra, she was already a difficult opponent when it came to Taijutsu, but with Sasuke's "predicament," it was near impossible.

Her breasts bounced with every miniscule moment, and the worst part was that she didn't even seem to be aware of it. (or just didn't care)

It was becoming increasingly challenging for him to keep his breathing normal.

"Is something wrong, Sasuke?" she asked, worried as to why his face was pale as they kept on sparring. "You're performing a lot worse than usual."

_I'd like to perform far more enjoyable things with you, Sakura._

She halted her movements, and he was at first grateful, because she was no longer bouncing around.

At first.

Her skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat, making her practically glow as she panted lightly to catch her breath.

_They both had excellent stamina._

Sasuke gulped.

"Sit down, I can heal the injuries you have so far. Maybe you'll feel better then," she smiled, and he reluctantly complied.

She walked over quickly, sitting next to him to get better leverage as she healed a nasty wound he had gotten on his knee.

"Can you push up your pants a bit?" she asked innocently, pointing at his right thigh.

"I can let that heal on it's own," he protested, refusing to move. She gave him an incredulous look.

"Don't be so proud all the time. Just let me heal you."

"That's not necessary," he said through gritted teeth.

Then without waiting for him, she rolled it up herself, her hands dangerously close to….certain parts of his body.

And that was all it took.

He completely lost it.

His face drained of all color as he could feel blood go to…other certain parts of his body.

As she leaned over, still unaware, her cleavage was even more visible, and he practically groaned.

That was it.

He went insane.

Standing up suddenly, Sakura narrowly missed being knocked over by his dramatic movements.

"Sasuke, what are you-"

He picked her up unceremoniously into his arms, swinging her so laid over his shoulder.

"What the hell are you _doing?_"she nearly screamed, hitting his back roughly. It hurt horribly, but he ignored it, starting to sprint away from the training field, one hand around her legs and the other near her toned rear.

"You should be more worried about what we _will _he doing," he growled out, shocking her so much that she stopped struggling.

* * *

"Well that was unexpected," Kakashi commented loosely, watching Sasuke sprint away faster than he'd ever seen him move outside of battle.

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei. They've been swimming in sexual tension since _forever._ It's about time they got together."

"Hmm…I guess that's one way for our team to bond."

* * *

**All I want for Christmas is for Kishimoto to show us a flashback of how Sasuke had to have had personally lay Sakura down on that stone bench….hopefully with a remorseful look in his eyes that will make me cry like a little girl.**

**Bonus points if he sheds a tear while doing it.**


	25. Day Twenty-five: Locked Up

**I have such lovely reviewers…you all are such beautiful people! Your support makes me so happy, sometimes I just want to explode. (in a good way)**

* * *

Title: Unexpected Reunion

Summary: Orochimaru gets Sasuke a pet, not realizing how he'd react.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Locked Up

Rating: T

Warnings:

Comments:

* * *

Her lower lip trembled, covered with the same deep crimson that was over most of her bruised body. Chakra-enhanced shackles pinned her arms forcefully to the wall behind her, the muscles in her body cramped and sore.

Pained gasps came out every few minutes, but she tried her best to restrain them, gritting her teeth forcefully and closing her eyes, trying to think of something, _anything_, to keep her mind off of the pain.

"I know you're there, asshole," she growled out, speaking to the man standing in front of her, a twisted smirk on his face as his glasses glinted in the dim lighting.

"Your willpower is quite admirable," he commented off-handedly, as if he was discussing something a mundane as the weather. "I can definitely see Tsunade's spirit in you. Perhaps that is why she chose you as an apprentice?"

She was silent, refusing to talk about Konoha in any way whatsoever.

"If you aren't going to talk, we can use other methods of persuasion," he stated smoothly. "I'm sure Orochimaru would _love _to watch the fire disappear from your eyes."

Her eyes snapped open immediately, shooting him a deathly glare that promised all sorts of pain even though she could do nothing to act upon it.

"You sure put up a fight," he drawled out. "You killed so many of our men…perhaps we should have you take their place?"

"Like hell I'd ever agree to that," she retorted, expression darkening.

"And if you didn't have a choice?" he taunted. "Orochimaru is always looking for new curse seal vicitms."

"You already have Sasuke!," she cried out in frustraion. "What more do you want from Konoha?!

He snorted.

"You really think I'd tell you, a mere kunoichi? Don't get over-confident. You may have the _skills _of a jonin, but don't forget that you're still just a chunin."

"That's because you captured me before the test," she protested, trying to save her pride, if nothing else.

"Well, you won't be going back…so get used to this cell. I'll have Orochimaru come in to _examine _you in a few hours," he said, pleased of himself. "But first we'll have to clean you up."

Her eyes widened as she saw him pull a bucket full of water and a washcloth.

"You. Will. Not. Touch. Me," she stated coldly, though her eyes betrayed her fear.

"Don't worry so much, Sakura," Kabuto smiled, his expression full of saccharine sweetness that she wanted to punch out of him. "I'm not the one that you should be worried about."

* * *

Even though Sakura was perfectly clean and healed, she felt absolutely filthy, her arms and legs still pinned so that she couldn't move an inch. She fought the urge to cry, and resorted to reciting the shinobi rules over and over again in her mind to distract herself.

Just as soon as she got to number 36, she heard the door to her room creak open, the chakra-infused steel door revealing the last person she wanted to see in the world.

Her blood went cold.

"Sakura, darling," Orochimaru cooed. "It's been a while since the chunin exams, eh?"

She refused to respond, just giving him an icy glare.

"You've gotten a lot more feisty," he acknowledged. "Luckily, I specialize in breaking people's spirits."

"Go fuck yourself," she hissed, pretty much accepting that escape was a lost cause. The least she could do was go out with a bang.

"Don't give me ideas," he smirked, making her shiver in disguist. "I have other plans for you."

"Like what?"

"Before your interrogation, you'll be a lovely present for a special someone," he declared happily. "We can't let you beautiful little body go to waste."

She couldn't help it…her mouth dropped open in horror.

She couldn't even muster the energy to ask whose "present" she would be.

As the snake sanin left her room, she finally allowed the tears roll down her cheeks.

* * *

Without realizing it, she had fallen asleep (or was it just unconsciousness?), leaving her face in a state of rare tranquility.

Two figures watched her, one with evil intent, the other with shock.

"She sure has grown up, don't you think?"

"….."

"As a reward for your recent progress, I'm letting you have her until Kabuto is done setting up the interrogation equipment."

"Alone?"

The older man chuckled, walking over to the door.

"Of course."

He then left, leaving with a smirk and a wave of his hand.

The younger boy adverted his eyes to the girl in front of him, red irises watching her chest rise and fall in a peaceful slumber.

However, he couldn't let her sleep any longer.

"Sakura," he whispered harshly, making her wake up immediately. She opened her eyes, unable to see anything. Assuming the lights were turned off for a reason, she frowned, squinting to try to see something—_anything _in the darkness.

"Who is there?" she growled out, trying not to sound as frightened as she felt. The voice sounded familiar—sounded like…

"Are you hurt?"

_No, it couldn't be…_

"You need to get out of here—quickly. You only have a few hours."

_Sasuke wouldn't be that caring. It isn't him. It's someone else. Someone that has seen my name in the bingo book. They don't actually know me._

"Your chakra is drained, but you should still be able to run if I distract Orochimaru for long enough."

_Just someone being nice._

Her mind was hazy, but she didn't struggle as the faceless man began to undo the chains restraining her. And instead of immediately attacking him, she remained still. For some unexplainable reason, she felt like she could trust him and his strangely familiar voice.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked calmly, wishing she had the Byakugan or Sharingan so that she could see in the midst of all the blackness.

He ignored her question.

She heard the sound of clothing ripping, and then felt a blindfold being put over her eyes.

"I will take you to the exit, but you'll need to do the rest from there," he said quietly.

"Why are you blindfolding me?"

"It's for your sake," he replied cryptically, and she decided it was best not to press the matter. He then lifted her body into his warm arms, holding her bridal-style, the intimacy of the position rather ironic when it came to her situation.

He kept walking, and she could hear him close the door softly before breaking into a sprint towards an unknown location. For all she knew, he was bringing her to her death….for all she knew, it was Kabuto or Orochimaru in disguise, trying to get her trust in some twisted way.

But after a few minutes, he stopped dramatically, her stomach lurching at the sudden change of pace. However, she could feel a cool breeze, so she knew they were outside.

"Thank…you…" she whispered softly into his chest, wishing that she could see the identity of her savior. "But I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you."

"You already did…a long time ago," he muttered, and she could feel the vibrations of his chest. "I'm letting you down now."

And he brusquely placed her legs on the ground, standing her up.

"Run straight for a few feet, and then you can take the blindfold off," he ordered. "And for your sake…please forget everything that happened here. Go back to Konoha. Go back to Kakashi and Naruto."

She frowned.

"How do you know about-"

There was a noise from inside the base, and they both jumped slightly.

"_Go!_" he hissed out, prompting her to break into a breathless sprint, even though her muscles were already screaming at her. And after a few seconds, she tore the blindfold off, thankful to see that the night sky was slightly lit by the dim glow of the moon.

Still running, she glanced back at the opening from where she came, in hopes of seeing her rescuer.

Unfortunately, it was pitch black on the inside.

All she could see was a flash of a red, before it was gone.

* * *

**AGH THE MONTH IS ALMOST OVER, AND AFTER IT ENDS…I ONLY HAVE NINE DAYS UNTIL COLLEGE STARTS. **

**SDKBGEAIURNAEINEAIOEHNkwbgGBKDFNLAKN.**


	26. Day Twenty-six: Electricity

**I literally just finished writing a chapter for my other huge ongoing fanfiction, and to make up for the lack of Sasuke in there…well let's just say we're making up for that. (;**

**SIDE NOTE: the 'summary' for today's is absolutely ridiculous and I made myself laugh really hard**

* * *

Title: The Body Electric

Summary: The power might've gone out, but he was still turned on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Electricity

Rating: M

Warnings:

Comments: this is dirty!

* * *

"Mmmmm, Sasuuuuuke…." Sakura groaned, sprawling herself on top of the couch in their living room without a single care about how he'd react. The entire apartment was pitch black, with only a few flickering candle flames providing any semblance of light. Outside, a killer thunderstorm was howling, rain pelting the outside of the building with a ridiculous amount of force.

"What," he growled out, his mood considerably soured by that fact that…oh I don't know….that _it was six at night but since the power went out, they were forced to sit in darkness?_

"Sasuke….entertain me," she whispered, rolling around a little so that she was on her side. "Rub my back or something."

His eye twitched.

"I am not rubbing your back just because you are bored."

"Please?"

"No."

"I'll give you a hug?"

"No."

"I'll make you coffee tomorrow?"

"No."

"I'll let you touch my boobs?"

"No—oh shit-wait-" he gasped out at the end, not catching himself in time. She cackled evilly.

"Haha, looks like my boobs will just stay to themselves tonight," she grinned. But Sasuke had other things on his mind…

"Are you sure about that?" he asked lowly, in that tone that Sakura knew meant business, but she chose to ignore.

"Yep."

However, the hand that had suddenly appeared on her lower belly was trying to convince her otherwise. He trailed his fingers slowly in circles on the exposed skin, leaving trails of warmth wherever they went.

She gulped.

"Sasuke, I _told _you—none of that to..ngh!" she protested, only to get cut off when she felt his fingers brush the underside of her breast, only to ghost away immediately. In the darkness, she could she the shadow of his body come closer and closer, eventually towering over her small frame.

"Are you _really _sure, Sakura?" he smirked knowingly. "We're you just saying how 'bored' you were? Well…this is my way of entertaining you."

"You're an asshole," she grumbled.

"And you're annoying," he shot back teasingly.

She sat up fully on the couch, allowing him to sit across from her. He then went straight to straddling her slim hips, attacking her lips and neck with a flurry of sloppy kisses that made her hum in pleasure.

"You've been at the hospital far too often recently," he muttered into her neck, nipping at the soft skin. "I think you need to focus more on _relieving your stress_."

"And how exactly do I do that?" she asked innocently, running her fingers through his shaggy hair.

"By not protesting," he answered simply, trailing a finger down the valley of her breasts, his other hand focusing on undoing the fastener on the back. Once he heard it snap open, he reached under her baggy sweater to pull it off roughly.

"Cold?" he asked, debating on whether or not to rip off the offending piece of fabric.

"Not for long," she whispered, eyes half-lidded.

And with that, he lifted the clothing above her head, leaving her only in a pair of skintight yoga pants. To be fair, he lifted off his shirt as well, revealing the toned abdomen that Sakura was so proud to claim for herself.

"Done staring?" he smirked.

"For now," she pouted, grabbing his arms and making him practically fall on top of her.

All of a sudden, the lights flashed on, flooding the room with an obnoxious level of brightness compared to what they were in before. Sakura gave a yelp of excitement, pushed Sasuke off of her, and ran over to the computer desk

"Thank god! I can finally finish my report on our most recent patient who-"

She was cut off by an arm that snaked around her waist, pulling her roughly against the body behind her.

"You…are you going _anywhere_," Sasuke growled darkly in her ear, making her spine tingle.

"But-"

Without another word, he dragged her to the bedroom, slamming the door behind them.

* * *

**I don't feel like writing ****_actual _****sex, so whatevah. I accidently fell asleep last night, so I didn't get to post this. ):**


	27. Day Twenty-seven: DiaryJournal

**This prompt sucked butt because I can't see Sasuke keeping some diary, but I also don't like giving him too much dominance in any situation.**

**So this is a semi-compromise?**

* * *

Title: Model Student

Summary: One day after class, Mr. Uchiha finds a discarded notebook under his favorite student's desk.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Diary/Journal

Rating: T

Warnings:

Comments:

* * *

The classroom was full of half-asleep teenagers, all dressed in white and green uniforms without a smile in sight. Ignored textbooks lay haphazardly across their desks, and most weren't even _pretending _to pay attention.

Their teacher, a young looking man in a white button-down shirt and navy slacks, glared at them lightly, but was effectually powerless.

"Okay class, the period is over now. Please review your coursework and complete the assigned homework so that you perform well on the quiz tomorrow," he announced, even though their lesson had ended over ten minutes ago. He was rather attractive for his age, which gave him a disadvantage when it came to garnering his students' respect.

One look around the room told him all he needed to know.

Shikamaru Nara? Sleeping.

Naruto Uzumaki? Sleeping.

Choji Akimichi? Eating.

Kiba Inuzuka? Sleeping.

Ino Yamanaka? Talking.

The only hope he had left rested with promising student Sakura Haruno, who already knew the subject perfectly, but still paid attention to every lecture. Instead of gossiping with her friends, she would watch him with those big green eyes, occasionally biting her lip in concentration.

(Not that he noticed….)

(But he totally did)

You could say that, having been ignored by so many other kids her age, he grew quite fond of those who cared. And…she was one of the only ones.

She didn't come from a prestigious family like the rest of the students, yet she won her way to the top of the class, beating out kids whose parents would hire endless tutors and give them endless amounts of bribes to get good grades. She was a member of the varsity track team and did dozens of other clubs, ranging from Student Council to Science Olympiad.

(Not that he kept an eye out on her…)

(But he totally did)

And even though she excelled so much in math, her true passion was science, already hoping that she would someday get into medical school and become "a surgeon that also researches various infectious diseases." She had already been taken under the wing of Dr. Tsunade, a world-famous practitioner that worked out of Konoha Hospital.

(Not that he had asked around…)

(But he totally did)

She was eighteen, and he was her math teacher for Senior year.

She was Sakura Haruno, and he was Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

"Sakuuuuura! I'm telling you! Mr. Uchiha _totally _was staring at you in class today!" Ino grinned, pulling her best friend out of the room as quickly as possible. "Just like _every _day!"

Sakura sighed, moving a few strands of hair that had fallen onto her face.

"Ino, you're just saying that to make me feel better," she frowned, smoothing out her short uniform skirt as they walked down the hallway to their next class. "Doesn't change that he's my freaking _teacher_…"

"Oh, Sakura," Ino giggled, patting her back comfortingly. "If this was just a little crush, I'd have let this go a long time ago. But you know me….if there's one thing I'm good at….it's looking into boys' minds!"

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"And in his mind….he _wants you_," her blonde friend continued happily. "Even if I _am _the hotter friend."

"Hey!" Sakura protested. "You have Shikamaru!"

Ino gave her a sly smirk.

"Oh look, you're already getting defensive over Mr. Uchiha~"

Sakura gave her a pleading look.

"Don't say that so loud in the hallways!"

"We only have a month of school left!" Ino cried, waving her arms dramatically. "You're already 18…there should be no issue here!"

"Just…can you _please _be quiet about it, Ino?" Sakura asked, suddenly quiet. "I already feel like a stupid girl for having a crush on a teacher…I don't need to be sucked into the typical 'I hope he likes me back" mess. There's no way he'd ever feel that way about me. And even if he did, he's much too responsible to risk his position for just one relationship."

"Ugh, Sakura…" Ino groaned, closing her eyes in frustration. "Why must you make everything sound so _depressing _and tragic? Trust me, he'll do _something_ soon. I can just sense it."

"Suuuure," Sakura teased. "If your 'magical boy powers' say it is so, it _must _come true!"

And even as the two reached their next period, Ino's mind did not stray from the original topic.

In fact, it was more accurate to say that she decided right then and there to "take matters into her own hands."

* * *

Another day, another pointless class, with Mr. Uchiha feeling older with every passing lesson plan. He was beginning to wonder why he even took up teaching in the first place, since there were so many other things he could be doing at 23.

(He blamed his career on Itachi for making him feel like he should be "educating the next generation")

But something caught his eye under Sakura Haruno's desk that was definitely not there before. And since her class had already passed, it must've been there for at least thirty minutes without someone claiming it.

It was a pink notebook, barely large enough to be called one. (It looked more like a stack of post-its)

Morbidly curious, he opened it up.

**_Dear Diary,_**

**_Wow, school has been so time-consuming recently! I've barely had time to sleep, let alone think about Mr. Uchiha's boring lectures!_**

With a frown, he realized it must've been Ino Yamanaka's: Sakura Haruno's best friend who had seemingly no interest in anything math-related. He briefly wondered how the two got along.

**_I have no idea what Sakura sees in him. Every time one of us tries to complain, she defends him like a loyal wife or something. Geez…._**

He froze, reading those few lines over and over before he could actually acknowledge their existence.

**_She really needs to get a boyfriend. Maybe I can convince her to date Kiba?_**

Sasuke glared at the paper. _She better not date that tasteless punk. _

**_But we ARE graduating in a month, so maybe she has a chance with her dream-boy after all. _**

**_xoxo_**

**_Ino_**

For once in his over-prepared life, Sasuke didn't have a single idea as to how he should proceed.

* * *

The next day, Ino watched Mr. Uchiha very, _very _carefully.

She noticed that he kept looking over at them suspiciously, his eyes focusing particularly on the strawberry-blonde girl in the front row.

For a while, she wondered if her plan had worked. Did he read it? Was he convinced? Would he do anything about—

Sakura's pencil dropped quietly to the floor next to her, and she gave a little huff of displeasure before leaning over to pick it up. And as she went down, Ino couldn't help but notice Mr. Uchiha's cheeks turn the slightest shade of light pink.

_Plan successful._

* * *

**If I was Ino, I'd sign everything "xoxo Ino" because of how cool that sounds out loud.**

**I almost wrote a story about Sasuke going to see a dietician (Sakura), who made him write down a food journal. But I had no idea where the fuck I would go with that, so I scrapped it….heheh.**


	28. Day Twenty-eight: At the Movies

**I wrote half of this before work, and I promised myself I'd spend most of my shift thinking of how to make the perfect ending….but of course today was the busiest we've ever been, so most of this came from the part of my mind that is obsessed with delicious AU fluff.**

* * *

Title: A Different Sort of Action

Summary: Famous action star Sasuke Uchiha had made a deal to never film any sort of romance…that is, until he signs onto a contract on the next big blockbuster not knowing that it involved a heartfelt sex scene with beautiful actress Sakura Haruno.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: At the Movies

Rating: M

Warnings:

Comments: Feel free to feast upon the wonderful AU goodness. (:

* * *

The two men sat across from each other, the only thing between them being an imposing mahogany desk and a scathing glare.

"Absolutely not," the dark-haired one said harshly, handsome features only emphasized by his murderous look. The man behind the desk, grey hair styled in a haphazard manner, put down the book he was holding and sighed.

"Sasuke, this whole no-romance thing of yours is really getting in the way of some good movie deals," he explained, gesturing to a large pile of scripts in front of him. "There's two things people go see action films for: explosions and hot women."

"There _can _be women….as long as they don't interact with me," the younger one declared, crossing his arms defiantly. "Kakashi…do you treat your other clients like this? I thought I made myself clear when I first signed with you."

"Well, the reason I asked was because there's a movie coming up directed by Minato Namikaze himself: his first project in the past ten years. He's only casting the most talented actors and actresses available, but the issue is that he won't tell anyone the plot _or _characters ahead of time."

"…is this a joke?" Sasuke sneered.

"No," Kakashi stressed. "But you are being offered the lead protagonist, and this could possibly be the most important role of your life. You _will _take this. Refusing it would give you horrible publicity, and possibly be an end to your career."

The man stiffened in response, thinking of the options he had this situation.

(…..only one)

"Fine," he huffed out, closing his eyes in frustration. "When do we get the scripts?"

"One month," Kakashi smiled reluctantly, the imposing mood in the room finally lifting. "And you'll meet at Konoha studios with the other cast members at 11am on Monday."

Sasuke opened his eyes.

"I don't find out the casting until then?"

"One of my other clients has been signed as well, but I can't tell you until the list is publicized," he nodded. "Confidentially and all."

"Fine," Sasuke growled. "Monday 11am it is."

* * *

"Welcome, welcome!" the director called out to the room of young actors, his smile far too bright and his clothing far too casual. However, he was known as the best of the best, so Sasuke supposed that people could care less as to how he acted when he wasn't behind the camera.

Sasuke recognized a few faces: all of them famous for action movies, and all of them past competition.

Kiba Inuzuka.

Naruto Uzumaki. (who also worked with Kakashi)

Neji Hyuuga.

Shikamaru Nara.

and….Sakura Haruno?

He paused at the girl's face, taking in her casual outfit of black spandex leggings, leather boots, and a baggy top that flowed over her thin frame. She looked far too stylish to be in a room with five rugged, extremely muscular men that could probably snap her in half.

For the life of him, he couldn't recall what movies she had starred in previously, but for some reason her name just popped into his mind. She was his age, around 23, and already making a name for herself in the film industry. He realized that beside Sakura and himself, the only other "superstar" in the room was Naruto Uzumaki.

Sasuke vaguely registered Minato starting to explain the plot of the movie.

"Naruto plays the emotionally unstable boss of one of the world's most dangerous gangs, his famed "hit crew" led by his most trusted man, who is played by Sasuke," the director explained carefully. "Naruto is married to Sakura, who is just as much his wife as she is a deadly assassin. Among the rest of the group are Neji, Kiba, and Shikamaru."

Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes. _That_ girl, an assassin? Yeah right. She would be eye candy at best for the audience. There's no way she'd be believable in such a strong role. Her legs were too long, her hair too soft. Her skin looked too smooth to belong to an action star, and her body was too feminine.

"But it is obvious that Naruto neglects Sakura and is an overall awful person, so she finds comfort in the arms of her husband's most 'trusted' man…Sasuke."

_Holy shit. He did not just—_

"When Naruto gets kidnapped by a rival organization, the team leads a dangerous mission to retrieve him from a heavily-guarded, high-tech bunker hidden in the middle of New York City. However, along the way, doubts arise as to whether or not it is even worth it. Long story short, they eventually find him just as the building is about to collapse sitting in a room in shackles. Nevertheless, instead of saving him, Sakura punches him unconscious as the rest of the team escapes to start a new gang with Sasuke as the boss."

The room was silent.

"Do Sakura and I get to kiss?" Naruto interjected excitedly, raising his hand and waving it around. Minato frowned.

"On the cheek."

The blonde boy sighed, slouching in his seat. Sakura, sitting a few chairs away from him, laughed lightly.

As Sasuke understood, the two had worked on a wide variety of movies already, but he hadn't paid attention enough to know what they were, exactly. In fact, he made a point to never watch movies other than his own, so he had scarcely any idea as to what others were doing in Hollywood.

"Anything else we need to be warned about?" Shikamaru asked abruptly, not bothering to raise his hand.

"There will be a few decently-sized explosion, one major fire, and…a fairly long sex scene between Sakura and Sasuke."

Everyone's heads snapped to look at the two, who did not seem to have been warned about this fact.

"What?" Naruto gaped.

"Well, they have a lot of make-outs placed throughout the movie, but there's only one where clothes come off," Minato smiled brightly, oblivious to the scandalized look on Sasuke's face.

"Why do you look so upset, Uchiha?" Kiba Inuzuka teased. "Will it be your first time?"

Sasuke glowered.

"Hey!" their director scolded. "This flick is rated M, not NC-17… so you guys won't _actually _be doing it….just _almost _doing it."

"This would've been nice to be told about ahead of time," Sakura spoke quietly, arms crossed.

"Regardless, you all have already signed your contracts, eh? No going back now!" Minato replied giddily. "See you all tomorrow for filming! Your scripts and schedules are underneath your chairs. Goodbye for now!"

Sasuke cursed under his breath, trying his best not to look the way of one Miss Sakura Haruno.

_Fucking Hollywood directors. Making every fucking movie have a sex scene._

* * *

"Sasuke," Sakura sighed audibly, giving him a soft glare that screamed '_if only we were alone, I could bitch at you properly_.' "Can you please try to at least _pretend _we have chemistry? This role is super-important for the both of us, and I don't want you fucking up this entire movie just because you don't want to touch me."

"Fine," he hissed out, trying to look menacing even though he was just inwardly freaking out. See, he had a little secret, one that he would never _in a million years _tell a pretty girl that he just met one day ago.

….and that secret was that he had never had his first kiss.

Throughout high school, he had always ignored any advances, and when he started acting at 18, he made sure to tell his agent that he would only take roles that didn't involve _any _touching by the opposite sex.

But he couldn't let her know. It would make him sound weak…innocent…._ pathetic_. Because even though it was _his _choice, others might not perceive it as such.

He sighed.

"Okay, I'm ready," he motioned to Minato, who excitedly yelled "action" as the cameras turned on.

_The boss' wife closed the door behind her, and let out a shaky breath. She was in the middle of their hideout in Tokyo, the noise of the city blocked by the soundproof walls. _

_"Ayame," a cool voice spoke, making her bright green eyes snap open at once. In front of her was Yuuta, looking at her with a worried frown._

_"...You scared me a little," she admitted softly. He took her chin in his hand._

_"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned as to why she was acting so strangely. "Has Boss been-"_

_"No, he's fine as always," she bit out. "On the phone all day and only calling us in if he needs something done."_

_"Ayame, you're blaming yourself again," Yuuta deduced quickly, placing his hands on her upper arms and looking into her eyes lovingly. Tears began to build up in his lover's eyes, and that was what broke him._

_He leaned in softly, capturing her lips in the most gentle way possible, waiting for her to respond before the kiss deepened. Before they knew it, her back was against the wall, and his hands had found their way to her sides, about to run his fingers over her breasts when…._

_…..they heard someone approaching._

_They broke away, panting for breath._

_"We can't get caught together," she said quickly, running a hand through her long wavy hair._

_"I know," he smirked, stealing a chaste kiss on the lips from her before they left the hallway in the other direction._

"…..and cut!"

The crewmembers clapped briefly, smiling at the "happy couple."

"You two did so well!

"Are you _actually _dating?"

"Man, Sasuke is one lucky bastard!"

"When are we filming the _reeeal_ action? Next month?"

Sakura laughed a little, trying to ignore the blush that wouldn't leave her cheeks. "Thank you everyone…I guess…"

"Hn."

"I don't know," Minato teased. "Do we need to try that again?"

"NO!" Naruto protested loudly from the 'audience' where the rest of the cast sat and watched, waiting for their scenes to start.

Sakura, seeing Sasuke's awkward expression, answered for him. "I think we're good."

Their director sighed. "Fine….but next scene we'll need Shikarmaru and Naruto, who will be in the-"

"Hey Sasuke," Sakura whispered, quiet enough so that only he could hear. "We're getting dinner after this."

"Why?" he frowned, suspicious. _Is she some fangirl who is trying to—_

"Well I think we better get to know each other's minds before we get to know each other's bodies."

The woman had a point.

"Fine."

* * *

The two had surprisingly gotten along quite nicely as they ordered their meal at the local diner, Sasuke ordering a large pasta dish while Sakura stuck to grilled chicken and steamed vegetables.

(When he asked her why she ate that way, she only replied: "because being a female celebrity is an awful thing.")

"So, Mr. _I-don't-do-romance-roles_," Sakura drawled out, eyeing him over. "If you're so picky, why did you allow your agent to sign you for a movie you knew nothing about?"

"Minato is the most famous director alive," he explained, watching her trail in her finger across the rim of her glass. "It would be stupid to refuse."

"You're so concerned about fame that'd you ignore one of your personal boundaries?"

Sasuke went silent, adverting his eyes to the empty plate in front of him. His food was long gone, as were any reservations he had with this girl. For some reason, even though it was illogical, he trusted her. She seemed like the kind of person that people trusted, and he couldn't help but fall into that mindset.

"Before my brother died, I promised him that I'd make a name for our family. Replace the Uchiha's infamy with something to be proud of."

She gave him a sad look, though thankfully it was devoid of the pity he usually got thrown at him.

"Wasn't your great uncle that serial killer from the 1970's?" she asked, with the same tone that one might use when discussing the weather. "I…uh…looked you up online after I found out that we'd have to be lovers."

"Yeah, Madara Uchiha. I wasn't even alive when he was, yet his past keeps burdening my future…"

"Fuck that," she said simply, nearly making him choke on his spit.

"_What did you just say_?" he gaped very uncharacteristically.

"Fuck all that emotional shit," she grinned. "Live life for what it's worth. We're young, free, and attractive…might as well act like it sometimes."

He gave her a strange look.

"Just look at me for example," she explained. "I'm 23 and an Oscar-winning actress, yet I still spend most of my free time with online college courses to finish my education. I have a bachelor's degree in Biomechanics, and as soon as I finish my bachelor's in Biochemistry, I'm going to be going to medical school and only doing movies on the weekends and during the summer."

It seemed that he had judged Miss Sakura Haruno far too quickly that he should have.

"When I was younger, I wanted to be a police officer. But when my brother died, I saw how corrupt the justice system could be, and that all changed. At least in Hollywood, you already know everyone's just out for themselves."

"So why did you choose_ acting _to repair your family name?" she asked curiously, now done with her meal.

"Itachi always told me I was good at pretending I was someone I'm not," he chuckled cynically. "Might as well get paid for it."

She laughed at that, a harmonious sound that made his spirits considerably brighter.

And it was at that moment that Sasuke Uchiha realized that he didn't mind losing his first kiss to Sakura Haruno.

* * *

_Ayame bit her lip, staring at her lover with all the passion in the world, barely contained under her façade of responsibility._

_"Are you sure? There's no going back after this," she explained, even though they had both already discarded their outer clothing, and she was laying in just a set of crimson lingerie with Yuuta staring down at her with a heated expression._

_"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," he whispered roughly. She flushed, her cheeks becoming a rather fetching shade of pink that went well with her strawberry-blonde hair._

_"But my husband-"_

_"That bastard never treated you right, and you know that he never will," he growled. "I don't want to hear you say his name ever again."_

_"You always know the best things to say, Yuuta," she smiled softly, drawing him in closer. They shared a brief kiss, and she moved her hands to the back strap of her bra. "Even if this all blows up in our faces later on, I don't think I care. I just want to live in the _now. _Everyone in the world is already insane, we might as well join them."_

_And though her bra fell off, the camera strategically avoided her naked form, instead focusing on Yuuta's back muscles straining as he thrust forward, a animalistic groan escaping his gritted teeth._

_"Ah…Yuuta…" Ayame moaned out between ragged gasps for air, grabbing his toned biceps in attempts to increase his pace. "Please…more…"_

_The noises grew louder and more erotic with each passing second, though the soft music in the background drowned some of it out. Slowly, the camera faded out, but not before the couple whispered their first "I love you."_

* * *

"This is Hollywood correspondent Ino Yamanaka with the latest scoop on celebrity news!" the pretty host on the television declared, platinum hair tied back in a tight ponytail and her thin frame dressed in a fashionable suit that probably cost more than most people's rent. "As you all know, Minato Namikaze's critically-acclaimed new movie _Inner Conflict _was only released last week, yet it had already made at least two hundred million at the box office, drawing in excited crowds of all ages despite it being rated M and every bit passionate as it is action-packed."

She smiled at the camera, as if she knew a secret that no one else did.

"And that wonderful sexual thrill has been the result of the _flawless _work of Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, two superstars that have now reached epic proportions of fame. I wouldn't be surprised if these two get paired together for many more films, now that the public can see how well they work together."

She smirked again.

"However…sorry boys and girls, they're off-limits at the moment, considering that they started dating soon after production, with rumors of marriage already underway! We can only hope that-"

The television was clicked off, the image of Ino disappearing from the huge flat-screen she was displayed on.

"Epic proportions of fame, eh?" Sakura giggled, poking the man laying next to her in their shared king-sized bed, the sheets suspiciously wrinkled and their bodies clothed only in the smallest of underwear.

"I'm guessing we'll be only be getting movie deals together from now on," Sasuke responded, arms crossed.

"Is that a bad thing?" his lover teased in response.

"Only if you say no."

She paused.

"No to what?"

But suddenly, she found it hard to breathe, because she felt something cold and metallic on a particular finger located on her left hand.

"This," he said simply. Her eyes widened.

"Sasuke, we've literally been dating for two months, why are you doing this so-"

"Itachi made me promise something else before he died," he explained quietly, and she sat up to get a better look at his wistful expression. "He wanted me to find a wife that can make me 'happier than anything else.'"

Sakura couldn't stop the tears that were slowly threatening to spill.

"You're annoying, usually too loud, and sometimes too clingy…but you make me happier than I've been in a long time, even though I may not show it," he muttered, looking at the way her lips had blossomed into a wide grin. "You're mine. No one else's."

She laughed, wrapping him in a rare hug, and giving him a tender kiss.

"Can you believe this all started because of us having pretend sex?" she said giddily, enjoying the way his body emulated a subtle warmth against her exposed skin. However, she soon drew back, face serious.

"Sasuke. I have a confession," she said, eyes narrowing. Inwardly, he was close to having a heart attack. Was she seriously going to say no? After all the work he spent on thinking over how exactly to say his confession without sounding stupid?

"Our first kiss was also _my _first kiss."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mine too."

"I know," she grinned. "You weren't that good."

"Wha—hey! How would you know?" he defended, glaring at her.

"Don't get so upset about it, Sasuke," she giggled. "We've had lots of practice since then, and I don't plan on stopping."

"Well I guess that means I'll have to practice some more," he smirked with that one look in his eyes that told Sakura that they would be doing a lot more than kissing all afternoon.

* * *

**1. For those fake character names, I literally googled "stereotypical Japanese names"**

**2. This is the first chapter I've actually gone back and checked for errors**

**3. I am in love with this, and I'm not even going to pretend to be humble about it**

**4. This turned out so freaking LONG omg**


	29. Day Twenty-nine: Souvenirs

**HEY SO I'M THINKING OF DOING A FIC BASED ON ONE OF MY PAST ONESHOTS. But I want to hear your input! I might do all of them eventually, but which one should I tackle first?**

**1. Day four: Misspent Youth**

**2. Day eleven: Classfied**

**3. Day fifteen and sixteen: Grounded/ Secrets**

**4. Day Twenty-seven: Diary**

**5. Something else**

**REVIEW AND/OR PM ME, PLEASE (:**

* * *

Title: Ne me touche pas sans l'autorisation

Summary: Vacationing in Paris, Sasuke meets a young woman that an't leave him alone until he buys a souvenir for himself.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Souvenirs

Rating: K

Warnings:

Comments: Oh la la….

Sasuke sighed, watching the endless amounts of women and men pass him by. Some tourists, some natives….all of them looking tired and irritated.

* * *

He was sitting outside a café in the middle of Paris, a café crème in front of him, the afternoon breeze slowly cooling it down enough for him to drink. French chatter filled the air around him, people discussing everything from overdone croque monsieurs to recent politics. Naruto was nowhere to be found (probably off buying some trinkets), so he was stuck there until he came back.

"Ah, excusez-moi," a sweet voice called out, drawing his immediate attention. "Est-ce que la place est prise?"

He quickly thought through all of the studying he had gone over before leaving for this trip. _She asked me if this seat was taken._

She frowned, noticing his silence. "Est-ce que vous parlez l'anglais? Je peux parler l'anglais."

"Yeah…" he replied. "I can speak English."

_Did she think I lived here? I know I don't exactly stand out like the stereotypical tourist, but I don't look French at all…._

"Okay," she smiled. "All the other seats here are taken. Can I sit here?"

He glanced over to the seat across from him, the only empty chair in the area. She was clutching a steaming mug of black coffee with a pain au chocolat in her other hand. Reluctantly, he nodded, watching her sit down across from him and place her meal down.

She looked young, around 19, with a strawberry-blonde bob that suited her delicate features. Her eyes were a pale shade of green, and the only makeup she wore was a bit of lipstick that was as red as the tight dress she had on. The only thing really protecting her from the chilly air was a cream-colored scarf wrapped around her neck, contrasting with her thin frame.

"So I'm guessing you don't live here?" she asked slowly, mood brightened by the fact that she wouldn't have to eat while standing up. "You look a little out-of-place."

It was easy to assume that she was from France, from her fluid use of the language to the way she was dressed.

"I'm here with my friend for another week," he said sharply, not used to females being so casual with him. Normally they would be falling over themselves by now, blushing and demanding dates and steamy hookups.

"Where is he now?"

"Buying stupid souvenirs or something," he growled, making her giggle lightly before taking a few gulps of her coffee. He noticed that her small bread was already gone, probably due to the fact it was barely the size of her palm. Geez, how little did French women eat?

"You don't sound so fond of it," she commented, raising an eyebrow. "Are you enjoying yourself? Because every _other _tourist spends at least a few hours of their trips picking things out for their family and friends."

"I don't want to get anything for my family," he mumbled, finishing his drink in a few gulps shortly after.

"You sure?" she asked again, now finished completely with her coffee. "I know a great place to pick up a few memories."

He frowned. Was she hitting on him? Or being nice?

With the sweet smile on her face, he wanted to believe the latter.

"I've got nothing better to do today, and it looks like your friend won't be back for a while…"

"Fine," he answered, surprising himself.

"By the way, I'm Sakura."

_Not a French name. Perhaps she was born somewhere else? _

"I'm Sasuke."

At the very least, it would be somewhat entertaining, and if she got clingy, he could always leave.

Xxxxxx

"_This _was the exciting place?" he asked distastefully. "A food store?"

She had led him about two blocks away from the café, stopping in front of a worn-down market-looking place.

"Don't complain about it until you've seen the inside," she scolded. "Plus….I didn't think you were the type to make superficial judgments."

And she led him inside, resisting the urge to grab his arm. (She had a feeling he wouldn't do well with physical contact)

"Come on!"

Inside, the shop was completely different, sweet-smelling and stocked with hundreds of packages and boxes.

"Authentic coffee, all the pastries you could ever want, and other assorted treats," she explained proudly. "_Anyone_ can buy an effiel-tower keychain, but not everyone can say that they own a real French press."

He nodded slowly.

"That makes sense. I think I'd like a French press. The coffee's a lot better here than back in New York."

"Bonjour!" a shopkeeper greeted from the back, waving at the two young adults cheerfully. "Ça va?"

"Ça va bien," Sakura smiled back. "Mon ami veut acheter un cafetière à piston."

"D'accord. 23 euros," he replied swiftly, going to retrieve the box from the back. As he returned, Sasuke counted out the necessary money, placing the bills on the counter for the man to take.

It only took five minutes for Sasuke and Sakura to leave the store, a heavy bag in Sasuke's hand. He realized how strange this event would sound to Naruto, so he decided that he wouldn't be telling his blonde friend anytime soon.

And speaking of his blonde friend…he checked his phone, seeing three texts from Naruto.

"My friend is done now, so I guess I'll be leaving now."

Sakura nodded, giving him one of those disarming smiles of hers.

"I hope the rest of your trip goes well!"

As he left, he couldn't help but already start to miss the eccentric girl's comforting presence.

* * *

Naruto sighed, propping his feet up on the desk in front of him.

"I miss Europe," he groaned, trying to block out the view of the large lecture hall he and Sasuke were currently sitting in. They were back in New York, which meant that college classes were inevitable. At least they had chosen an easy subject: poetry. The teacher, Kakashi, was rumored to be easy, and the coursework was just the same thing they had gone over in high school.

Sasuke nodded, going back to straightening out the papers on his desk. But a low whistle from his blonde friend broke his concentration immediately.

"Wow, signing up for this class was sure a good idea," he grinned, looking towards the front of the classroom. "Sakura Haruno is in here with us."

Sasuke stiffened. _No, that's just a common first name. It can't be her._

"Sakura Haruno?" he asked, just to humor himself.

"She's a sophomore, just like us. And she is _smoking _hot," he giggled pervertedly. "Looks like I'll have to be asking her for 'sepcial' tutoring with-"

"Sasuke? Is that you?" a voice called out, and it wasn't hard for the dark-haired boy to guess who it was. When he looked up, Sakura was staring at him with a funny look, dressed in a pair of skin-tight skinny jeans and a simple tunic top.

"I thought you were French," he uttered quickly, struggling under the eye contact. (Remember, his social skills were not exactly on par with everybody else's)

She laughed, and he realized that he had missed the sweet sound the past few weeks.

"Thanks for the compliment, I guess. But you never _did_ ask me where I was from," she admitted, a blush on her cheeks for some reason.

There was a pause, with Naruto's mouth dropping open in shock.

"Did you ever use the souvenir I showed you?" she asked carefully.

Sasuke nodded. "It is quite useful."

"Good," she smiled, but was interrupted by the arrival of the teacher. "I guess I'll see you after class?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Then….à bientôt!" she grinned, walking back to her seat.

_This will be an interesting year…._Sasuke thought to himself, mentally preparing himself for the interrogation Naruto would give him as soon as they had time.

* * *

**TOMORROW WILL BE AN ANGST-FEST, SO PREPARE YOURSELVES. **

**PS: I just found I was nominated for a National Youth Art Award for a role I had in a musical summer. Whaaaaaaaat. **


	30. Day Thirty: Losing Hope

**Okay, so I counted all the past and recent requests, and this is the order:**

**Grounded/Secrets: 8**

**Misspent Youth: 5 (to be honest, I like this one the most)**

**Diary/Journal: 4**

**Achilles' Heel/Numb: 3**

**Souvenir: 3**

**Classified: 2**

**At the Movies: 1**

**Outgrown: 1**

**UGH SO I WROTE LIKE A REALLY LONG, DETAILED ONESHOT BASED ON CANON, AND I STAYED UP UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER WAS OUT SO THAT I COULD SEE IF IT STILL APPLIED…AND LIKE NONE OF IT DID, SO HERE'S SOME IN-DEPTH CHARACTER ANALYSIS THAT MAKES MY HEART LURCH.**

* * *

Title: Overlooked

Summary: While her love gets all the glory and attention, Sakura silently fights on in the background.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Losing Hope

Rating: T

Warnings: Quite sad

(side) comment: I think people forget how significant it was that Sakura was bullied for her appearance when she was younger.

* * *

Being a kunoichi was an awful, difficult, horrible thing to do, and Sakura Haruno would not recommend it to anyone that valued their self-worth.

In order to "prove" that she was just as capable as a male, she had to submit herself to countless hours of training, ridiculous amounts of the most mundane missions, and never-ending comments about how "weak" she was….all while smiling and looking pretty.

Women were supposed to be the heart of the team, keeping everyone together with nothing but an innocent smile and a cheerful demeanor. Women were to stay thin, fit, and well-groomed even during the most grueling missions. Women were supposed to find a man to settle down with at twenty-two. Women were supposed to start popping out babies by twenty-three.

On the day they were placed into genin teams, young, sweet Sakura would never have guessed the amount of pressure she was getting herself into. In the moment, she was happy. Excited. Thrilled. Finally she had something over the other girls. The ones who _didn't _graduate, the ones who called her ugly, the ones that called her worthless, the ones that made her distrustful of other females.

(She vaguely wondered if she was masochistic for going straight from being bullied and beaten to falling in love with Konoha's prodigal genius)

However, by being on her generation's most talented team, no matter how hard she tried, she could never please others with her skills as long as Naruto and Sasuke were in the picture.

After all, girls are supposed to be the weak ones, right?

Nevermind that she grew into being Konoha's top kunoichi, medical ninja, and the apprentice to a legendary sannin…even after all her hard work, she'd always be number three.

Always.

_And unfortunately for her, number three couldn't help but fall in love with number one._

It had _started out_ as a crush, but before she noticed, she was in far too deep to ever wade out of the waters again.

Though the relationship between her and Sasuke had originally blossomed on that infamous "first mission," (she remembered sobbing over his body, thinking he was dead, her world shattering alongside the sheets of ice around them) ironically it was Orochimaru that made it bloom.

In the Forest of Death, when they were attacked (together), he was the one that saved her from the kunai aimed at her heart.

When he was in the midst of the horrendous effects of his curse seal (the thing that changed everything), she held his hand and held him close, their tears mixing together with the close contact.

When she had been attacked in her weakest moment, Sasuke came to her rescue, demanding revenge on anyone who laid a hand on her.

When he went too far, it was her tight squeeze that brought him back.

When she attempted to withdraw Sasuke for his affliction, he held her hand down tightly, making her stomach knot in worry and apprehension.

When Gaara attacked her, he risked everything to get her back. (If only she knew how Sasuke had begged Pakuun to keep her safe, to make sure no harm came to her)

When Naruto got the credit from Sakura, Sasuke frowned. (but didn't say anything)

When she visited in the hospital afterwards, he let her hug him as if she never wanted to let go. (and she didn't want to. ever.)

When she jumped in front of his Chidori, he panicked, and was forever grateful for Kakashi's intervention.

…and then when he left, he stopped for her.

He could have easily ran away, but he stayed. Listened to her words. Listened to her heartfelt plea and watched the tears flow down her pretty cheeks.

_"You really are…annoying."_

When he smirked, she was filled with contradicting feelings of hope and reality that made her sick.

_"Thank you…"_

And then it was over.

* * *

Who was she supposed to blame?

Gaara, for hospitalizing him after the failed chunin exams?

Naruto, for making him insecure?

Itachi, for making him run to the first person that offered him power?

Or herself, for not being able to make a difference?

(It wasn't hard to guess which one she picked)

After the events after Orochimaru's invasion, everyone in the village knew "Sasuke" was a taboo word, particularly around his pink-haired ex-teammate. And without Naruto around, she had to deal with the shame herself.

_"Isn't the Haruno girl the last person that traitor talked to before leaving?"_

_"Why is the rest of her team gone?"_

_"Why did they leave her behind?"_

_"Couldn't she have done something to stop him?"_

* * *

She remembered when she heard the news that Sasuke would have to be killed.

She remembered Shikamaru staring at her with that knowing look in his eyes.

She remembered Ino crying, crying for her best friend who wouldn't let herself look weak in front of everyone else.

She remembered looks of pity.

Above all, she remembered feeling empty.

* * *

When the moment came for her to end it all, (It was rather ironic she would use a kunai when he had saved her from one so long ago) she couldn't help herself.

She had a flawless memory, and unfortunately, it could work against her.

It was if she had watched their whole story from the beginning, starting and ending with the same exact phrase.

_"You're annoying"_

The first time it had ripped her open, the second time, it had torn her apart.

And it was at that moment she realized she could never do it, and that she would _never_ able to.

…

If only she could say the same for him.

…

She later heard Kakashi talking about it to Naruto: how Sasuke had completely "lost his mind" if he was targeting "someone like _her_."

She wondered if he was telling the truth.

* * *

When Sasuke came back to them in the midst of the battlefield, it was unexpected and alarming.

She was frozen in disbelief, nearly halting her healing on Naruto.

"...S-Sasuke-kun?" she stammered out with wide eyes. _Damn. The "-kun" just came out of habit. _Her blonde teammate soon called out as well, though more definitely more exuberant. "Sasuke!"

"….Sakura."

His voice was no longer bloodthirsty and cruel; he was once again the level-headed Sasuke she had fallen for so long ago.

_Why can't he be more cold? If he acts like this, it's harder to pretend that I don't lo—_

But there was no time for feeling sad and pathetic when there were bad guys to punch and skills to show off.

(She couldn't see him smirk in approval at her newfound power, but if she did, her heart would probably cease to function)

…..and though it didn't make sense, she felt a weird emotion bubbling up from the bottom of her soul as she fought alongside her old team, not in the background, but _with _them.

It was strange, because she thought that she had lost it long ago.

_Hope._

* * *

**(Bonus points if you can guess the part in this story that I started crying irl. I get really emotional when I write late at night; it's kind of embarrassing)**

**I might get flamed for saying this, but I truly believe that Sakura is one of the most complex characters in the whole series. You can even look at fanfiction as proof! It is nearly ****_impossible _****to write Sakura as OOC, because her personality has a ridiculous amount of facets and quirks, some of them contradictory, but most of all…human.**

**She is imperfect. She fights on, even though she knows she'll never be better than her two closest people. She keeps loving, even though she knows it's illogical. She is horribly self-conscious, and with every tear she sheds, I cry too. She is ****_believable. _****She is ****_strong. _****She is an ****_inspiration._**

**Sakura Haruno has been my role model since 6****th**** grade, so I grew up ****_with _****her. And now I'm going into college, still just as obsessed, still just as inspired. **

**(So I think I'm with most people when I say that Sakura more than deserves ending up with her man)**


	31. Day Thirty-one: Unexpected Wealth

**Wow. We did it. 31 days…31 chapters…31 nights of me ignoring sleep in favor of my OTP…**

**AND THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS. THEY MAKE ME SMILE. AND SOMETIMES GIGGLE REALLY AWKWARDLY TO MYSELF.**

**And so if you are interested in my future sasusaku works (like the ones I will be starting by the end of the week), put me on yo author alert. (; **

* * *

Title: The Luckiest

Summary: The day Sasuke returned to the village, he wasn't sure what hit him harder: Sakura's punch, or the realization that she had always been there for him.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Prompt: Unexpected Wealth

Rating: T

Warnings:

Comment: NOW I'M GETTING SENTIMENTAL

* * *

Just one look, and Sasuke knew he was the luckiest man in the world.

No matter how much time had passed, Konoha's angel was still helplessly in love with Konoha's damned.

No matter how much pain he had caused her through the years, Sakura would never quit, determined to make him experience love in a way that he hadn't felt since he was six years old.

(And oh, how he did now)

Physically, she was a goddess.

She lived as the human embodiment of spring, from her pale green eyes, to the soft locks of pink that just barely brushed her shoulders.

Meanwhile, he was all winter: cold, dark, and in strong need of good company.

She was warm and unpredictable, yet also professional and reliable when it came to her work or duties as a shinobi.

He didn't deserve her.

When he had returned to Konoha, there were only two situations that he had predicted: she would either ignore him, or would run into his arms screaming "Sasuke-kun!"

She didn't do either.

Instead of a warm welcome, he had received a strong punch to the cheek. (he later heard that if Sakura had _really _been trying, she could have easily punched in his skull)

_She had punched him so that he fell to the ground in an awkward heap, never expecting in a million lifetimes that Sakura Haruno would be the one to attack him._

_"Don't you ever leave us again, Sasuke-kun!" she growled out, though since he knew her so well, he could hear the overwhelming grief hidden behind her strong words._

_"Sakura-chaaan!" Naruto pouted. "I wanted to be the first one to punch him!"_

_"I don't think _anyone _should be punching him," Kakashi added softly, watching the three interact, surely recreating bonds that had been ignored over the past three years. "And Sakura-"_

_"I know, I know," she sighed, looking down at the dark-haired boy holding the side of his bleeding face in shock. "Come with me, Sasuke-kun. I'll need to heal that up."_

She had taken him to her personal room in Konoha's hospital, attracting the stares of many as she helped him along. (He sure as hell didn't recognize anything. Did they rebuild the village or something while he was gone?)

And by the time she had instructed him to lie down on the stiff medical bed, he realized that Sakura had definitely changed. As she channeled her soothing chakra into his body, the warmth he felt reminded him of something he had long since forgotten.

_Home._

* * *

When Itachi had died, Sasuke's perspective on the world had done a complete turn-around.

But of the many things he learned, the most important was this: even the most embittered criminal needs _love _to keep them alive. Something to keep them reaching towards higher meaning, something for them to lament or rejoice over and to keep them up late at night, even if just to cry.

And so Sasuke gradually let himself start to experience love once again, having locked it away ever since the day long ago when he stumbled into a blood-soaked Uchiha compound.

He remembered the love that Sakura had always shown him.

He now hated himself for not appreciating it.

He wondered if he would ever get it back.

* * *

Even though Sakura could have easily moved on long ago, spending her time with a man more capable of showingemotion, she still refused to let him go.

She called him out when he was being avoidant; she told him the steps he would have to take to regain the village's trust. She took him with her on outings with the rest of the Rookie Nine; she made him go into the hospital twice a week to make sure his eyes were in perfect condition.

And when he kissed her, she kissed back.

(Eventually. At first, she just sat there in shock)

Of course, it was only logical that Sasuke and Sakura would start dating.

And of course, it was only logical that Sasuke and Sakura would get married only a few months later.

And so it shouldn't have been a surprise when the new Mrs. Uchiha walked into the bedroom one morning with a wide smile on her glowing cheeks.

"Sasuke-kun," she said giddily, eyes twinkling with excitement. "Guess what?"

He sat up from the bed tiredly, looking at her carefully.

"What? Is there something wrong?" he asked worriedly, looking her over, but finding nothing out-of-place. However, she _did _have a hand over her midsection…did she have some sort of—

"I'm pregnant."

A rare smile passed the lips of Sasuke Uchiha, getting up quickly to stare at her flat stomach in wonderment. It was strange to think that in nine months, her belly would be swollen with the result of a tragic romance that had fixed itself over time.

He felt…._happy._

He imagined if Itachi was there, his older brother would chuckle and pat Sasuke on the back in congratulations. He would whisper, "_take care of her_" in his ear and leave the couple in peace.

"Oh," she stammered out, blushing at her husband's transfixed face. "There's something else."

He frowned. "Is there something wrong with-"

"It's twins."

* * *

**Hoorah for cute Uchiha babies! (brb imagining cute little kids running around with auburn hair and red eyes)**

**PEACE LOVE SASUSAKU**

**xoxo Justine**


End file.
